Hybrid Lives
by Kvaes Varetnai
Summary: Rescuing Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, Harry uncovers some strange new powers. Betrayed by his family in a world he doesn't know, he struggles to be accepted as just Harry. Eventual SLASH Remy/Harry
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey all, Kvaes here. Came upon this thought while supposedly studying for an essay XD however this is obviously not my essay, and I obviously got side tracker. This chapter won't feature the X-men, as I need to get back into writing and establish the base for my story.**

**WordCount: 1729 words**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD**

Chapter 1: Flames in the Blood

The pipe that led down into the Chamber of Secrets echoed with the dying screams of the possessed diary as Harry stabbed the broken fang into it and twisted viciously. The amount of ink that spewed forth made him wonder idly whether it had absorbed the ink that others had used to write with to fuel its own responses… but that thought was disrupted by the fiery burning that had spread from his arm to the centre of his chest. Wheezing as the poison from the Basilisk fang attacked his heart and lungs, he felt another, more potent burn begin to flare from deep within his magical core. Convulsing, Harry slumped to the dank stones of the Chamber floor, unaware of Fawkes swooping to land on his arm, his majestic head lowered in response to Harry's suffering. Weeping pearly tears, Fawkes hovered his head so they fell with unerring accuracy onto the wound left by the fang, mingling the tears and the venom in the bloodstream of the Boy-Who-Lived. Deep within his mind, Harry saw the instant the two most potent ingredients in the Wizarding World mixed with his blood. It occurred in a flash of blinding light, leaving him blinking blearily. Slowly coming back to his body, Harry sat up carefully, feeling the remnants of his experience ebb into the background. Turning to look at Fawkes, he raised an eyebrow at him.

"Mind telling me what that was?" He murmured, not at all expecting an answer from the bird, his head spinning as the walls of the Chamber seemed to pulse with the throbbing in his mind.

*That, was part your Magical Inheritance coming early, Young One. I believe you had some creature blood in you that reacted with my Tears and the venom from the Basilisk.* Fawkes sang, his voice resounding in the Chamber and creating an impression of fire and wind in Harry's mind.

"So… that explains why I can understand you now?" Harry said, the hesitancy in his voice turning the statement into a question.

*I believe you are now a Hybrid, Harry, part Phoenix part Basilisk. It will be interesting to see what else manages to manifest itself for you.* Fawkes replied, turning his head so he could look at the now conscious Ginny Weasley. Sighing deeply, Harry hauled himself to his feet, wincing as previously unknown aches and pains made themselves known. Hissing slightly, Harry stooped to help Ginny onto her feet, leading the way back through the Chamber to the place where the tunnel had collapsed and closed off access to Ron and Gilderoy Lockhart.

* * *

><p>After the debacle in the Chamber the rest of the school year was one filled with confusion for a number of students. While no-one but Harry had had access to the full scale of the events down in the Chamber, he found himself swamped by rumours and unable to go anywhere in the castle without finding himself attracting the attention of the student populace. More than one of the teachers were keeping a closer watch on him as well. After Madam Pomfrey had announced to the staff that Harry had actually been bitten by the deadly snake, they were observing him carefully, after all, no-one had survived the bite long enough for the tears of a Phoenix to be applied, and it was a new experience for the mediwitches and wizards all over the country.<br>One of the things that helped him forget the trials of the stares was his new friendship with the Weasley Twins. Both Fred and George had taken him under their respective wings when they found him sneaking back to the common room under his invisibility cloak. One thing led to another, Snape was seen in florescent pink robes and they adopted Harry as their protégé; Harry blossoming under their teachings.  
>Grinning secretively, he slipped into the kitchens with the bag of sweets he had managed to scrape together from the Twins' trip to Hogsmede, and was instantly greeted by a wave of commotion.<p>

"Harry Potter sir! Such an honour it is to be serving one as noble as yourself!" Many squeaky voices proclaimed at once, and Harry felt himself blush a deep crimson.

"I was wondering if it would be possible to put this potion in all of the food for the feast tomorrow night, as a favour to me? I have been noticing the atmosphere around the castle has been a bit tense lately and I believe this will help the place lighten up a bit." He said, looking at the House Elves hopefully, and smirking to himself when they literally fell over themselves to help him.

"Thank you so much for this. Here, I got these sweets for you as a token." He said, wincing minutely as they nearly burst his eardrums with their proclamations of how noble and selfless he was. Grinning to himself, he sauntered out of the kitchens and into the bustle of the student life; the castle wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

><p>He waited with bated breath after taking a few bites of his toast for the screams to begin. When they did, he looked around in bewilderment with the rest of the people not willing to blow his cover for the sake of indulging in laughter too early; his smirk hidden deep within his mind. The potion he had given the goblins took the worst image from the mind of the people who consumed it and changed their original visage to reflect it. His hair had turned a silvery white, his eyes the dull grey of metal. He had got off lightly as he couldn't care less about his appearance, however, the loudest scream came not from the girls as was expected, and it came from Draco Malfoy. His high pitched squeal pierced the Great Hall and drew the attention of all. His previously slicked back hair had exploded outward, mimicking Hermione's; however, it wasn't the nutty brown of her hair, no no… it was the infamous flaming red of the Weasley clan. Both Fred and George, once they had gotten over the shock of their changing appearances, howled with laughter at Malfoy's predicament. Relaxing back into his seat, Harry continued to eat his breakfast. Yes, today was going to be interesting.<p>

* * *

><p>However, Harry's luck decided that he had had enough of being happy today, and threw something that bowled him for six. He was in Transfiguration, and McGonagall had set them a task of changing one dove into several, when he lost interest in the goings-on of the lesson and was just fiddling with the quills on the desk. Hermione had been growling irately under her breath for the past ten minutes, her dove just sitting there serenely as she waved her wand imperiously at it. Observing it, he snickered quietly at the look on the dove's face, but it wasn't quiet enough to escape Hermione's notice.<p>

"Oh like you have done any better!" She snarled, and Harry looked at her with astonishment, even if he understood what she was talking about, he thought the hostility was uncalled for.

"What are you talking about 'Mione? I was just thinking that the dove looked kind of bored." He rushed to explain, noticing that the rest of the class was looking at them with interest, as most had given the lesson up as lost.

"Oh right, you think that I believe that! You're just laughing over the fact that the Know-It-All can't do the lesson!" She screeched, the dove taking off from the desk and taking off for the safety of the top of the cupboard. Harry frowned slightly, he had thought she had become desensitised to the ramblings of the student population, yet this was something she should have realised he would never do. He would never do that to anyone, much less a friend.

"No, honest Hermione, I was just thinking that the dove could use a bit of entertainment." He wanted to just crawl into a hole and escape, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes of the rapidly disappearing chance at flight from her wrath. He gulped when her eyes flashed at him from beneath her hair, giving her a slightly crazed look.

"Well, why don't you give the stupid bird something to do and while you're at it do the bloody lesson as well!" She snapped pointing at the dove which was happily sitting on top of McGonagall's lesson for next week. Holding his hands up in front of him in surrender, Harry backed away slightly trying to understand what had gotten into her, and running painfully into the desk behind him when she followed after him aggressively.

"Hermione, I don't understand what your problem is." Harry said, a foreign, defensive urge rising in his chest, whispering to him to protect himself, to prove that he was capable of defending himself. Shaking his head to clear it of the foreign influence that seemed to radiate from himself, he unwittingly called forth more of Hermione's wrath.

"Just do the lesson Harry!" She snarled, a vicious gleam flashed in her eyes, as though she enjoyed the fact she was cornering him into trying something that she knew he wouldn't be ready to attempt yet. As he went to open his mouth to object, she glared even more venomously and pointed at the bird once more, effectively cutting off anything else he might have said. After several attempts to state his case and the same result, finally something snapped within Harry.

"Fine! I'll do the stupid lesson!" He shouted, loud enough for even McGonagall to look up and pointed at the dove, his magic surging around him. "_D__ivide__et multiplicamini_!"

There was a moment of silence when the sky-blue bolt hit the dove, then a dozen of them took off from the cupboard at once, flying out the window McGonagall had quickly opened. Turning back to Hermione, Harry scowled at the awestruck look on her face. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed the rest of the class, and even the Professor were looking at him strangely, and an inquisitive expression crossed his face… until he looked down at the desk. Sitting atop his Transfiguration text was his wand. Looking back up at the class, all that went through his mind was,

'Oh **crap.**'


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Kvaes here with the second chapter… well it's longer than the first one… and I hope it sets up more of the plot. I just hope that you realise that I'm just winging it and trying to do the best I can while sorting out what events need to happen when.**

**Special thanks to all those who reviewed, and a cookie for All The Pretty Horses, who notified me of a mistake in the first chapter. I will get around to fixing it soon hopefully. If you do find mistakes with the writing, don't hesitate to tell me! **

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD**

**WordCount: 2641**

Chapter 2: Trains and Mansions

The school year had finally finished, but the train ride back to Platform 9 and ¾ was tense. Both Ron and Hermione, hell most of the school; hadn't backed down when Harry had explained he didn't know how he had done it, and he was at his wits end. He couldn't explain to them his sudden knowledge of his magic that had come to him so suddenly that day, and it frustrated Hermione to no end when he was able to master the spells she struggled with, and had even taken to just using hand gestures instead of saying the incantation for some of the easier spells.

"I keep telling you guys, I have no idea how being bitten affected my magic! All I know is that it flows more easily through me now, and I don't have to concentrate as much to feel it!" He snapped, glowering at them when the pressure became too much.

"But mate, it just doesn't seem right that you just up and understand your magic better because of a near death experience. If it were like that, all the witches and wizards in the Wizarding World would be super powerful!" Ron exclaimed, trying in his own way to find out how Harry managed to one up him when he had been along for the adventure this time.

Harry realised that the 'Golden Trio' had been growing apart for a while, despite the fact they had originally stuck together for the adventures with the Stone last year and the Chamber this year. It seemed as though Harry's fame and now his propensity for magic was going to get in the way of this friendship. Sighing deeply, Harry stood up, cutting through any other comments with a sharp motion of his hand.

"I'm sick of discussing this with you people! I'm going." He growled, sweeping out of the compartment and down towards the back of the train. Walking past a few shaky looking people, he realised that Fred and George had once again claimed the last compartment on the train for themselves, and were protecting their claim with whatever pranks they felt necessary.

"Hey Harry! I was just looking for Ron and Hermione. Have you seen them around?" Neville asked, his round face puzzled as to why Harry wasn't with them, yet he seemed too hesitant to ask.

"They are up in the first section of the train; I'm just looking for the Twins." Harry murmured smiling slightly, though it was insincere.

"Well good luck with that. I'm going to ask Hermione if she can help me find Trevor. I can't seem to find him anywhere." Neville said moving forwards toward where Harry had indicated. Waving his farewell as he turned and trudged down to the last compartment, Harry shook his seemed to be a regular Houdini when it came to escaping his Master's notice.

Tilting his head at the door, he listened for a while, the lack of noise suspicious in his experience with the Twins. Knocking cautiously on the door, he smirked at the simultaneous "Enter" that came from inside the compartment.  
>Opening the door, he stepped into the compartment and closed it quietly behind him, feeling the privacy wards spring to life around the door way, blocking any curious ears from the conversation.<p>

"Look here O Brother mine, our beloved Harrykins had decided to grace us with his presence." Smirked George from his position sprawled across one of the benches.

"One must wonder what drives him to seek the comfort of our humble compartment… isn't that right Gred?" Fred replied, ruffling Harry's hair with a careless hand. Smirking Harry dropped onto the seat beside Fred and steepled his fingers beneath his chin.

"Gentlemen, I believe we have business to discuss." He murmured, and both Fred and George snapped to attention, focusing their full attention on him as the train steadily began to climb a hill.

"Seeing as how we had discussed the manner of funding before we left Hogwarts, I took the liberty of opening an account for you at Gringotts." Harry announced after a moment of silence, veiling his eyes with his eyelashes to better judge their expressions. He wasn't disappointed.

"An account… as in… a vault? All to ourselves?" Both twins asked at once, their bewildered gazes switching from each other to Harry at regular intervals.

"Indeed. As in an allowance, if you will. To provide for future pranks in the making. I took the liberty of having the vault put under Messrs Gred and Forge Marauder." Harry said, taking two letters from a pocket in his robes and handing them to the appropriate twin.

"But Harry! You can't give us this!" George finally gasped having read the statement in his hands and recognizing all that it suggested would be available to them. The thought of that much money made them slightly green around the gills.

"I think you'll find I already have boys… If you don't want to spend it at the moment because of some misguided idea that I might think you were only friends with me for my money or fame, then let it accumulate and get a lease somewhere. I truly believe you would benefit from having some more resources at your disposal. Money can help with that." He explained a hardened glint that the twins had come to recognize as his stubborn streak gleaming in his eyes as he refused to take back the statements.

"Look Harry… George and I really don't want you to feel you have to do this. We just wanted to help you loosen up a bit after the whole Chamber fiasco. We felt you could do with more of a laugh and less of a brooding isolation." Fred said gently, looking to his brother, who nodded in support.

"You two are more like brothers to me than anyone I have ever had the fortune to come across, just take it… as a birthday present if you can't accept it any other way." Harry grumbled, waving a hand at them to signal that was all he would accept on the matter.

"Now, on to more serious matters, do you have any temporary pranks I can pull on my relatives while I'm stuck there?" He said, the evil grin from the identical red-heads firmly rooting them in the pranking situation.

* * *

><p>As the scarlet train pulled into the platform, Harry grinned at the thought of the joke items now stored in the bottom of his trunk. It would be a blessing knowing that they were there, even if he knew that he would never chance using them. The small link to his new adopted brothers would be a godsend during the hard months ahead. He knew that it would get him into a lot of trouble with his relatives if he even touched his trunk during the time he was staying with them. He only hoped that this time they would let Hedwig out and let her fly around. However, when he stepped through the Barrier and found his uncle amongst the crowd, he knew from the look on Vernon's face that this would not be the case. Making his way over to his relative, Harry quickly waved good-bye to Fred and George before wheeling the cart over to Vernon's car and packing away his things.<p>

"I suppose you're expecting to be allowed to let that bird out boy. That won't be happening, can't risk the neighbours knowing you were doing something... **freaky**." Vernon sneered, and Harry found himself comparing the fat elephant to Snape. With their attitudes, constant sneering and belittlement, he found them to be quite similar. Harry also knew it was pointless to argue the fact that Hedwig most likely would stay away from the house and the neighbourhood if she was set free. He wished fervently that he had remembered her beforehand and sent her with Fred and George, but it was too late now, and as they pulled into Privet Drive and Vernon parked the car, Harry wondered if this holiday could possibly be worse than the last one.

* * *

><p>The locked door on the other side of the room mocked Harry as he sat wearily on the small cot in his room. The thin curtains offered little protection against the light of the moon outside, and he felt himself grow tired. The chores had grown, the list of them longer than ever before now that he was a little older, and he felt that they expected and even wanted him to fail at them. Just so they could prove being a freak was no use to anyone. Absently stroking Hedwig's feathers through the bars of her cage, he was glad in a worn-out kind of way that he had managed to get her a larger one at Diagon Alley last time with the Weasleys. At least she could stretch her wings without rattling the bars. Resting his forehead on the worn knee of his pyjama pants, he contemplated the 'holiday' before him and cursed beneath his breath.<p>

'_Some holiday this will turn out to be.'_ He thought sleepily as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters<strong>

Remy lounged on the roof beneath the sky, a cigarette providing him with all the company he needed. While the X-Men had rescued him from Sinister's experiments, he did not trust them one bit… with the possible exception of Logan. Absently poking around in his pockets for his deck of cards, he shuffled them, dealing out a game of solitaire onto the roof tiles, the slight charge he gave the cards stopping them from slipping from his grasp in the wind. He was half way through his game when a voice startled him and his lapse of concentration caused the cards to disappear in a cloud of obliterated paper.

"Chuck wants to see ya Gumbo." Logan said a cigar clamped between his teeth as he observed the now pouting Cajun from the window, the slight breeze sweeping the remnants of the deck away from them.

"Remy, will see wha' de Profess'r want _mon ami_. Den he be gettin' ya ta buy him a new deck o' cards." He drawled, flicking the cigarette off the rooftop and grinning when it exploded, leaving behind no trace of its existence.

"I happen ta know ya have hundreds o' the damn things in ya room Gumbo." Logan smirked, amusement tingeing his words as he watched Remy's pout become more pronounced.

"Yes, but dey were Remy's fav'rite, ya can't jus' replace sometin' like dat _cher_." He said, stretching his arms as he ambled in a loose limbed swagger up to the window and swung himself through in what one could only call an elegant manoeuvre. As they wandered towards the Professor's office, Logan watched Remy become more closed off, more paranoid. After all, the rest of the students and staff in the school just did not understand the horror Remy had gone through in the short time he had been with Sinister. Logan had a small idea of what had happened, just from the constant night terrors that plagued Remy, causing him to cry out during the middle of the night. Logan also could relate to the aversion to the med lab down in the basement. His dreams were also filled with pain, needles, and tanks filled with water; but most of all the cries of terror from the others whose faces he couldn't remember no matter how he tried.

"Jus' sayin' _mon ami,_ ya need ta let Gambit loos'n ya up. Le's have a game tonight." Remy was urging him, and Logan noted the name change. Remy only did that when he felt threatened… or the need to put on airs.

"Alright, just stop ya yammering." He grumbled, pushing Remy through the door and into the room. The sight of all the other X-Men drew them both up short.

"Wheels, I thought ya said ya needed ta talk ta Cajun here." Logan growled, feeling Remy automatically stiffen up and search for all the possible exits in the room.

"I did, but when the others found out, they felt the need to tag along and add their two cents worth as well." Professor Xavier said his hands loosely resting on the arms of his wheelchair, not showing any sign of irritation at Logan's constant nick names; unlike Scott who tsked under his breath.

"Ya g't a breathin' pro'lem _mon ami_?" Remy asked innocently, the uncomfortable twitching morphing into card shuffling as he pulled another deck out of another pocket in his trench coat, lightly charging the cards as he did so to get rid of some of the nervous energy.

"Remy, the X-Men are concerned about you," the Professor began, but was cut off when Remy snorted.

"Dey no' worried fo' Gambit. Dey jus' wan' everyt'ing ta be _tres bonne _in da world." He retorted, a surge in the cards causing two or three to explode before he reigned in his power.

"That isn't the case LeBeau. We are worried about your ability to perform on the team when you can't even be bothered socialising." Scott said, and Remy looked stunned for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"_Magnifique_, ah such wit _cher_, tell Gambit; do ya have a constant watch on dis t'ief? Do ya kn'w where he goes all de time? Gambit be'n doin' plenty o'… socialising." Remy chortled, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Yes we know of your little escapades down to the pubs Remy, and that is what we are worried about. That you prefer the company of drunkards and women of lesser morals compared to the company of those found at this school and on the team." Scott said his voice becoming more pompous, and it was getting on the nerves of both Logan and Remy.

"If ya had let Gambit be, mebbe he would be more amiable ta ya tryin' ta change him ta suit ya silly rules." Remy growled, taking his sunglasses from the inside pocket and putting them on to disguise the fact his eyes were glowing with anger. "Gambit don' need ya ta try an' change him, ya can take ya false symp'thy and-"

"What Gumbo is trying to say is, you need to let him be until he's sorted out how he's dealing with his recent… adventure." Logan cut into what Remy was saying, trying to stop this from escalating any further, but it just wasn't to be… because a certain red-haired telepath couldn't help but try Remy's defences.  
>The explosions was terrifying. Remy noticed her attempt and threw her out of his mind with an explosive jolt, sending her flying back into the wall where she was pinned by several cards charged with kinetic energy.<p>

"Jean!" Scott yelled, turning to Remy with his hand automatically rising to his glasses.

"Ya need ta keep ya pet on a shorta leash _cher._" Remy spat, ducking for the window to his left and barrelling through it, uncaring of the cuts he got from the broken glass. Heading straight for the walls around the mansion, he scaled them with ease and took off across the rooftops of the houses into the city. Logan watched him go with sympathy, before turning back to the room, noting that Jean was crying softly.

"Ya should know better Jeanie. His head is not a place ya want ta be." He rumbled, lighting the cigar between his teeth and standing beside the broken window.

"The things I saw… God how did he put up with it?" She whispered, horror flooding her words. Looking to the Professor, who raised an eyebrow at him, Logan sighed and clamped the cigar more firmly between his teeth.

"Darlin' ya don't even know the half of it."

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

Magnifique: Magnificent  
>Cher: Dear etc<br>Mon ami: My friend  
>Tres Bonne: Very good<p>

**I am just using Google Translate for these things so if they are wrong let me know XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all, Kvaes here… but you probably already knew that. Thank you to all those who reviewed! It's totally awesome to get feedback about my story, and I hope you all keep enjoying it.**

**A cookie for MCV, thank you for the help XD**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD**

**WordCount:2333**

Chapter 3: Something Wicked this way comes.

Struggling with a particularly stubborn root, Harry cursed under his breath. He had gotten a letter last night from one of the Ministry owls stating that since he no longer required a wand, but was not emancipated by the Ministry, they would be monitoring his magic to make sure that he wasn't terrorising Muggles. It wasn't as though his magic worked perfectly all the time, but he supposed that with the Ministry, it was better to be safe than sorry. Although at this time he could have cheerfully choked the Headmaster with his Lemon Drops for mentioning it. It certainly would have helped with all the chores he had, that was for sure.

The sun on Harry's back was particularly brutal, the ragged shirt that Dudley had worn barely three times offering no protection from the imminent heatstroke that would surely strike him down. However, Harry had noticed that he had been strangely drawn to the environment outside; the air, earth and water offering him a comfort that he had never known, and he often returned inside with his strength rejuvenated, not a sunburn in sight, no matter how little protection he was given. In fact, it seemed as though his magic had indeed evolved; when Harry had returned to the house with Vernon after returning from Hogwarts, Dudley had distracted him when he was taking some baking out of the oven, the paper on the tray catching fire and spreading quickly. Harry, instead of letting go of the paper, had dumped it in the sink. However, the fact that he was not wearing oven mitts or seemed to notice the heat of the flames did not escape Petunia's notice. That particular feat had earned him almost a week shut in his room before they realised it was a waste to let him 'rest' when they still had mountains of chores for him to do. She and Vernon had decided that since 'the boy' seemed to do freaky things while in the kitchen (especially when other people were around), he should be banished to the garden outside instead.

So Harry worked outside, no matter the weather; pruning, weeding, clipping, cutting and otherwise primping Petunia's lacklustre garden into top shape for the local 'Best Kept Garden' Award. Consequently, here he was, outside in the sweltering heat, making sure Petunia's precious plants were kept in top shape. Finishing with the tools he turned towards the garden shed in the backyard, hoping that Vernon wouldn't notice that he had finished already.

"BOY!" Came the cry, and Harry sighed as he closed the door to the shed, heading back towards the house and toeing off his ratty trainers at the back door. Walking quickly to the living room, Harry stood just behind Vernon's chair, ready to duck out the way if Vernon decided to aim a blow his way for taking too long.

"See this boy. This is what freaks like you can do to the world!" Vernon announced merrily, pointing at the television screen where what looked like a battlefield was evolving in the streets of an urban part of America. The announcer, who looked rather green at the thought of being anywhere near the destruction, but couldn't resist a good story, was reporting on site.

"- As you can see, the destruction behind me was caused not by natural disaster, but by Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants. Mutants and their ilk are a danger to our society and our existence. If you have any information on these mutants, or know the location of any known mutant terrorists, contact the number on your screen now."  
>Harry felt sick as the camera cut to show the utter carnage displayed around what was once a city; and peeling his eyes from the television, he scowled at Vernon, who sneered in return.<p>

"Don't you look at me like that, boy. You and your freaky friends are abominations, not fit for interacting with the rest of polite society." Vernon said, glowering from behind his moustache like an irate walrus. That mental image made Harry choke on his laughter to avert the potential punishment that Vernon seemed to like doling out. Vernon observed what he felt as divine punishment with a glee filled grin.

"I have been talking to Petunia and Marge about your weirdo ramblings; and we have all decided that this has gone on long enough. She was able to get a hold of a doctor to help us _cure_ you of this wretched freakiness. They will arrive tomorrow, so until then, you can stay in your room." Vernon's face seemed to light up at the word cure, and Harry had a bad feeling that tomorrow would mark the day when his world would be turned on its head.

* * *

><p>The sound of the door being opened and the voices of Marge and Vernon comingling sounded like the baying of Hellhounds to Harry's ears. The enquiring hoot from Hedwig did not help the sinking feeling in his stomach that would not go away.<p>

"Somehow, I don't think I'll be getting out of this whole girl." He murmured, looking out over the street from the window and wishing with his heart that the Ministry hadn't decided to register his Wandless magic. At least then he could have set her free.

"So where is he Vernon?" Marge asked, and Harry froze at the sound of another man's voice filtering through the floorboards and creeping into the room.

"I need to examine the subject so that I can determine what steps need to be taken to… fix him of this little problem he has." The voice seemed almost delighted that Harry could be considered as an experiment, and it was that tone of voice that had Harry's heart beating unnaturally fast.

"He is upstairs, wait here and I will go and get him." Vernon said, for once not sounding unhappy about fetching Harry from the room upstairs. The sound of his footsteps drawing closer made Harry cringe, and it was with trepidation that he found himself walking downstairs to meet the newcomers. As soon as he reached the ground floor, he was nearly attacked by Ripper; who when he caught a full scent of Harry, turned around and ran behind Marge with a whimper.

"See, even the dog knows that the boy is bad news Vernon. Dr Essex is the best in the business at what he does." Marge said, patting Ripper on the head and trying to coax him out from behind her. Staring down at the dog, Harry wondered why the animal felt that today of all days was the day it wanted to actually destroy him. Turning his green eyes back to the newcomer in the doorway, Harry found himself filled with a fear that previously, only Voldemort inspired. Somehow, he felt, this man could do more damage to him than even the Dark Lord could.

* * *

><p><strong>Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters<strong>

Remy had stayed away from the school for nearly three weeks after the incident in the office. He barely talked to any of the inhabitants of the school and the only people who truly knew his whereabouts were the Professor (because of Cerebro) and Logan. He felt violated by Jean's intrusion on his memories and found himself wondering just how much she had actually seen. Most of his more painful memories were locked down in the darkest recesses of his mind, but sometimes, just a hint of them managed to break through the barrier, and swirled chaotically through his thoughts. Yet now, he knew that he had relaxed enough to start coming back to the school and hang out on the roof with Logan.

"She didn't see all that much Gumbo. The Professor took a look, and it was nothing you haven't let him see before." Logan rumbled, watching from the railing of his balcony as Remy balanced expertly a top the weather vane.

"She didn' need ta see it a' all Wolvie. She shoulda stay'd r'ght de hell outa m' t'oughts. Remy is a private pers'n. Don' need nobody pokin' aroun' in 'is head." He argued, absently rubbing his hand over his ribs. The feeling of them shifting under his hand had never gone away completely, and he liked to make sure that it was still a thing of the past.

"All I'm sayin' is, just don't take what she and Scott did out on the others. I know Ororo is missing you talking to her, and Rogue wanted to talk to you too." Logan said, trying to get the younger man to at least socialise with some of the people at the school. If he did that, it wouldn't have to become a sticking point at further meetings. After all, no-one wanted to bring up the fact that Remy had spent a week in the red-light district instead of coming back to the mansion, and had stated quite firmly that the company was infinitely better that way.

"Remy t'inks ya need ta stop worryin' about 'im. Don' worry _mon ami_, I will talk ta de X-Men… but den ag'in, m'ybe dis time I c'n hold a conv'rsation wit'out bein' spyed on." He murmured, leaping from the weather vane over the side of the roof, landing gracefully several stories below and ambling over to one of the willow trees in the yard, his trademark cigarette in one hand and his deck of cards in another. Throwing himself onto the ground in the shade, he dealt himself a game of solitaire and contemplated the choice before him. After all, it was all very well for them to tell him to socialise when no-one wanted to talk to him anyway.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Remy found himself standing outside the dining hall. Taking his sunglasses off, he hesitated before opening the doors; knowing that no matter how good they were out in the real world, the X-Men couldn't keep a secret within the mansion walls; meaning that everyone here knew about his little tussle with the red-haired telepath, and that the rumours had most likely gotten out of hand. Lining up for some food, he grabbed a bowl of whatever soup they were serving; but facing the sea of faces around him, all focused on him as though he were a bug under the microscope, he turned on his heel and strode outside. Stopping in front of one of the glasshouses, he let himself inside and shut the door behind him, registering the presence of the weather witch inside almost instantly.<p>

"Do come in Mr LeBeau, don't let your dinner go to waste." Ororo said, not turning from the orchids she was watering, the artificial light above it illuminating the flower perfectly. Seating himself at one of the tables, he dug into the soup, stopping his eating when she finished with the watering can and sat down opposite him. Tilting his head at her, he quirked an eyebrow at her and pushed the bowl away from him, lounging back in the cushioned seat.

"Ya g't a reason ta let Remy in ya quiet room _Chere_?" He asked tilting his head slightly as if to interpret her reasons from her body language.

"It could be as simple as wanting your company Remy." Ororo said warmly, interpreting his head movement and the cause behind it, laughing at the face he showed when he registered what she had said. Shaking his head, he struck a pose in the chair.

"_Oui Ma'emoiselle._ Remy knows de w'men jus' love ta fall for 'im, but it gets tirin' tryin' ta keep track o' ev'ryone who wants a piece o' dis Cajun spice." He announced, flashing a cheeky grin at her while his eyes glowed eerily.

"Ah, but not everyone is interested in your 'cooking' Remy. Maybe they just want to talk?" Ororo responded promptly, causing Remy to sigh and shake his head, as though it was a chore to even think about it.

"W'at is de point o' gettin' dis Cajun alone if all ya gonna do is talk _cher_? Cookin' is w'at Remy is best at… b'sides t'ievin'." He deadpanned and they looked at each other for a long moment before a small smirk broke across Ororo's mouth.

"I have no doubt about that Mr LeBeau. If you ever need someone to just talk to, you can come out to the glasshouses. You'll always be welcome there, even if it's just to flirt outrageously." She said, leaning back against the trunk of one of the trees.

"Well, t'ank ya kindly Stormy, Remy'll be sure ta stop 'round some t'mes jus' fo' a chat. _Au revoir._" He said, hightailing it out of the glass house before she could register the fact she now had a new nick name. As he headed further into the woods behind the mansion, Remy could hear the outraged, "STORMY?" echo around the grounds and chuckled to himself. It really was too easy to wind people up.

* * *

><p>Remy lay awake in his bed, the curtains pulled open wide and the stars in the sky shining down upon him. Nothing could stop him from enjoying the wonders of viewing the uninhibited night sky.<p>

"All X-Men to report to the War Room."

Well… except that. Grumbling to himself, he rolled out of his sheets and tugged a shirt on over his head, haphazardly slipping his feet into some boots before stumbling out the door and shaking himself alert. Making his way to the War Room, he wished absently that he had remembered to bring his cigarettes with him. At least then he would have had something to do while they all talked. Professor Xavier greeted them with a grim face.

"I'm sorry to have brought you all here at this time of night, but this concerns all of us. Dr Sinister has moved from America and taken up residence under the name of Nathaniel Essex. He was last spotted entering the suburb of Little Whinging in Surrey."

* * *

><p><strong>Translations<br>Oui: Yes  
><strong>Mademoiselle: Miss<br>Au Revoir: Goodbye, farewell  
>Mon ami: My Friend<br>****


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Kvaes again, I finally got that essay finished… you know… the one I was complaining about in chapter 1 I think it was… anyways here's an update! Cookies for all who alerted/favourite/reviewed my story, you guys rock!**

**WordCount: 2403**

Chapter 4: Sinister Tidings

Doctor Essex seemed like the sort of person who would rip you open and rearrange your insides, Harry decided. His cold eyes seemed as dark and as lifeless as coal, viewing those around him with a disdain for their worth. He had left quite quickly after being introduced to Harry, something about setting up the new premises for the arrival of a new patient. Vernon and Petunia were quite disgruntled; they had wanted Harry out of the house as quickly as possible. However it wasn't that bad for them; after all, if Marge hadn't called the Doctor, they would have been stuck with the freak for another month or two. Lying on his bed, Harry tried to rest as much as possible, it would be a while before he knew what sort of 'exercises' he would be required to do to get rid of the 'freakishness' inside of him.

"I have an idea Vernon. Why don't we burn the stuff from that wretched school of his! That way he has nothing to come back to." Petunia's hushed voice swept up the stairs, and Harry felt his heart stop. Leaping from the bed as quietly as possible, he went to the loose floor board under his bed and scooped up his prized possessions, the invisibility cloak and his photo album of his parents. Stuffing them into a bag, he hastily wrote a note and shoved it inside too.

"_Alohamora_." He whispered, waving his hand first at the lock on Hedwig's cage, and then again at the bars on the window. They created an opening with a groan, and Harry cursed silently under his breath. Moving quickly, he cast a charm on the bag that made it weigh next to nothing and attached it to Hedwigs' leg.

"Go to the Twins, Hedwig. Don't come back until I contact you okay? I don't want you to be hurt here." Harry whispered to her urgently, and released her through the bars of the window just as the door burst open behind him.

"BOY!" Vernon roared, slamming Harry to the floor, spittle flying as he shook his nephew viciously. "You know better than to use that bloody owl to send messages! You get that ruddy thing back here now!"

"She won't come back… not until I call for her, which I won't." Harry smirked at the vivid puce colour Vernon turned, coughing slightly when Vernon heaved himself off Harry and glared down at him. Then another owl, this one bearing the grim countenance of the Ministry Owls arrived, bearing the warning letter within its sharp claws. Coughing slightly, Harry discretely cast another charm on the owl, hoping that the Ministry would come, yet knowing with his luck they wouldn't get here in time. Vernon's face was steadily darkening with rage and he grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him out of his room and down the stairs.

"Ah well, I think that we shall have to bring you down to the back yard. We have a little surprise for you, Freak."

* * *

><p>The smell of burning timber greeted Harry's nose when he was thrust outside into the light of the afternoon sun. Coughing slightly, Harry looked around and spotted the large bonfire in the middle of the backyard. Inwardly he smirked even as he knew that the end of most of his Wizarding history was nearing, after all, Petunia couldn't get her precious reward with a hole burned in the grass.<p>

"Dudders, bring the Freak's stuff here." Petunia crowed, and Harry felt himself being restrained by Vernon as both Marge and Petunia went through his trunk, throwing his only possessions onto the growing fire. The destruction of his broomstick brought tears to Harry's eyes, and a strange rumble came from his chest, drowned out by the small explosions coming from the sparking remains of his beloved Nimbus 2000. The delighted cackles of the Dursley family stabbed at Harry and he hung his head in sorrow.

"Now listen here you freak. Your parents were nothing, they were always nothing, and they have amounted to nothing." Marge said, satisfaction entering her voice as she moved closer, looking down at Harry's steadily dimming eyes within glee. Nodding to Petunia, she held Harry's head so he was looking at her and he was forced to watch as his wand was snapped and the pieces were thrown on the fire. A noise usually associated with a wounded animal erupted from Harry's throat and Marge laughed uproariously. "You, you believe you are different, that you are special; but you're not. Just like with dog breeding, if there is something wrong with the bitch, there's something wrong with the p—"

She was unable to finish her sentence as Harry snapped his head around to look at her, dull green-yellow eyes piercing her through to her very soul. Without a sound,Marge froze in place, and with a sense of satisfaction, Harry left consciousness as Vernon roared and Petunia shrieked.

* * *

><p><strong>Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters<strong>

"Essex, or as we know him Dr Sinister has set up a clinic in Surrey, supposedly curing children of any abnormalities within them." Professor Xavier said grimly, and the room exploded into a hurricane of noise, exclamations of horror from all sides being swirled into one continuous murmur.

"However, he is not 'treating' the children at the site in Surrey. He is taking them off site, for an unspecified period of time, and treating them in what I have heard to be discussed as a rehabilitation laboratory." Xavier went on to explain, Jean stepping forward and handing out a small printed dossier on the most recent activities of the infamous Doctor. Barely glancing at the pages, Remy sighed deeply, pressing himself further into the corner he was in and ignoring the 'subtle' glances of the other X-Men.

"As you can see, there is no hint of where this lab is. We need someone to get inside it and report back to us about it." Scott took over the briefing when Xavier turned his wheelchair to look outside. Almost as one, the X-Men turned to look at Remy, and he bared his teeth in a snarl at them.

"Ya c'n take dat idea an' shove it. I ain't goin' back ta dat _batarde sadique_!" Remy growled, slashing his hand in front of himself in a gesture of denial. Ignoring the calls of the people inside the room, he burst through the door, a haze of rage settling over his vision as he made his way to the Danger Room with a single minded intensity. Setting it so that it would be possible to work his anger out through violence, Remy stalked through the door into the room and began charging cards, it would be hours before he calmed down enough to stop obliterating enemies. The hiss of the doors opening alerted Remy to the presence of others within his temporary sanctum.

"Have ya calmed down now Gumbo?" Logan's voice rumbled out through the holographic scenery and Remy inhaled deeply, turning to reply before he spotted the other X-Men close by as well.

"Ya have a prol'em wit' Gambit sayin' no? Gambit un'erstan's dat ya t'ink he c'n cure all ya ills wit' Dr Sinister, but 'e will no' be riskin' life an' limb f'r ya ta _try_ an' do somet'in' about dat _fils de pute._" He spat, turning and blowing up a building with the card he had charged, trying to release some of the tension he felt at their arrogance in demanding this from him.

"We know that it is distressing for you Gambit, but the circumstances are dire, we need to put a stop to Sinister." Jean murmured, and Remy felt his lip curl in disdain.

"Ya know what he did ta me, _cher_, ya have witnessed it wit' y'ur own eyes. Ya canna ask me ta return ta dat." He said a slightly desperate tone edging his voice, blending with his determination to make a threatening rumble that was felt and heard by everyone in the Danger Room.

"I think we'll leave ya ta cool down Gumbo, ya need ta get it out of your system." Logan began herding people out of the room and Remy felt a wave of appreciation sweep through him, before turning back to the newly made city and blowing more buildings up.

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

The quasi knowledge that someone, somewhere was laughing at his predicament irritated Harry. It was as if Fate was throwing him a massive 'go die already' message that just did not seem to get across. The chill of the room he was in ate at him like an increasingly annoying leech, and if Harry were able to see he would have stopped his breath rising before him in swirling clouds. However, the blindfold upon his head would not come loose no matter how hard he strained at it and he had given up after a while, his hands raw from the rough fabric. Now, listening to the deafening silence around him, he felt fear grip him. Where was he? How did he get here? Those thoughts were broken into by the sound of a lock tumbler falling into place and the door swinging open, outwards if the rush of air towards the vicinity was any indication.

"Greetings young Potter. I am Dr Sinister, although you and you 'family' may know me as Dr Essex." The voice wasn't new to Harry, yet the tone awoke the familiar feeling of dread that had frozen him last year when he was faced with the attacks at Hogwarts. The sneer in the Doctor's voice as he said family alerted Harry to the fact he knew about the way the Dursley's had kept him and that he did not approve. However, he was not one to be trusted, even if he disagreed with Harry's previous living arrangements.

"Why am I here? Why won't this blindfold come off?" Harry finally managed to find his voice, and the silence in the room made itself known as Dr Sinister decided how to answer the question.

"You are here, because you have a _unique_ condition that I am dying to get my experiments into, and the blindfold won't come off, because I do not wish to be petrified like your unfortunate Aunt." The Doctor's amused words did nothing for Harry's fear, and adrenalin began pouring fast through his veins. With an ominous chuckle, the Doctor left the room, the door swinging closed behind him, and Harry immediately began to hyperventilate, his magic rushing around him in an attempt to calm him down, but something was stopping him from using it, and this pushed his panic to new heights.

*_Ssssilly child, the collar you over looked issss ssstopping you from achieving anything with your panicking, ssso ssstop thisss nonssssensssse._* The whispery voice seemed to echo inside his head, the feeling followed by what felt like scales sliding over the inside of his head.

*Be quiet, the child does not need you scolding him for a perfectly normal response!* Another, more feminine voice retorted at the first, and Harry wondered if this was how he was going to spend the rest of his days… with two voices inside his head arguing at each other while he wondered what the hell was so special about him that anyone would want to experiment on.

*_Child, you need to calm down. Hussssh let yoursssself calm.*_ The voice sounded suspiciously serpentine, and he sighed and forcibly relaxed his magic, trying not to let the fact he was paying attention to the voices register. After all, while the first sign of insanity was talking to yourself, the second sign was answering back. Pulling himself to his feet, Harry stretched out his hands, feeling along the walls until he came to an abrupt halt as his shins collided painfully with the bunk that was now his bed. Deciding that being warm was a better alternative to exploring the rest of the cell, Harry curled up on the bunk, arranging the thin blankets around him like a nest and ignoring the voices which were now discussing something amongst themselves in the background.

* * *

><p>The walls on either side of the door at the front of Harry's cell were bars instead of brick, and from there Sabertooth watched Harry as he curled up in the nest of blankets. The small boy's scent was strange, in an alien way that made Victor Creed want to sink his teeth into the pale skin and watch him try and escape. His feral side had not been happy when the Cajun had been freed from their possession, and now that his new plaything was here, it was high time they got around to marking him as his. Grinning at Harry from beneath his lanky blonde hair, Victor turned away from the now sleeping boy and headed back towards the main lab. A soft scream floated through the door, and he smirked as Dr Sinister stepped back from the table in front of him, leaving the writhing victim to suffer whatever he had injected them with as they talked.<p>

"That kid, he smells different from the rest in here… like he has somethin' extra inside." Creed murmured as he gazed down at the security footage which was playing through and showing them the inside of Potter's cage/cell.

"I need my favourite back Victor. This experiment would do so much better if I had fresh samples from that Cajun." Sinister drawled, already going through the data he was getting from the now deceased corpse on the table behind them.

"The X-Men won't be letting him out of their sites anytime soon, and Jimmy is bound to be keeping a closer eye on the Swamp Rat. He is his only chance at remembering anything." Victor said, his eyes flashing gold as Harry whimpered on screen, caught in the throes of a nightmare.

"We shall see how the X-Men will respond to more children disappearing from England. Maybe their misplaced sense of duty towards these lower evolutionary form will allow you to pluck Remy LeBeau from their grasp." Sinister said, turning back to the tray beside him and raising a scalpel to the light to check for impurities before turning back to his work, Creed's delighted smirk a chilling sight for the mutants he passed on the way to the outside.

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

**Batarde sadique: Sadistic Bastard**

**fils de pute: son of a bitch**

**cher: dear etc  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey there, a new chapter for you guys to read and hopefully like. This one is longer than the others, because I am attempting to move the story along a bit while trying not to leave many plot holes… Anyways thank you to the people who reviewed, cookies and such for you guys.**

**WordCount: 3788**

**Chapter 5: Just Harry**

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

The echo of a distant scream sent chills down Harry's spine. It had become more of a regular occurrence to hear the distant sound of Dr Sinister's experiments even in the dark silence of his cage. He shivered lightly as he tugged against the cuffs placed on his wrists. They were a little too tight; and no matter which way he moved them, they bit into his skin viciously. The rattling sound of the chain linking the cuffs together echoed throughout his cage and the empty corridor beyond, a reminder that Harry was a special case no matter where life threw him. He was confined in a corridor that held many other cages, cages that would hold only Dr Sinister's favourites as he later found out when two guards were transporting him towards an examination lab.

Harry was now bound as a precaution when transporting him, because of the violent reaction to the examination of his body by the Doctor and his assistants. He had broken some fingers in one of the more unfortunate of the assistants as they tried to catalogue his scars, and this had resulted in the cuffs and the restraints on the gurney which was now reserved specially for him.

Dr Sinister was fascinated with the scar from the Basilisk, the density of the bones in his right arm and of course, the lightning bolt scar caused by the Killing Curse. He poked, prodded, x-rayed and photographed to his heart's content and Harry was unable to get free to prevent him.

In retaliation for his uncooperative actions, Harry was often left with the cuffs on within his cage; as a reminder that his freedom was a thing of the past, that there was no escape from this. Hanging his head, he sat with his back against the cool brick of the wall beside his bed, trying not to think about his adoptive brothers or the magical school that had become a home to him. It caused a sharp pain to go through his chest when he remembered them, and he slipped further into his depressed state.

*_Child, Harry, you need to be more active than thisss. Jussst sssitting around doing nothing will not help you.* _The voice at the back of his mind whispered to him, and fed up with people telling him what to do and being unable to respond he launched himself into the depths of his mind; abandoning his body as he sought the presence of the others in his mindscape.

* * *

><p>Landing on what seemed to be a pillar in the middle of a sea of trees; Harry stood and looked around, spotting amongst the waving fronds the glimmer of scales. Leaping from the platform a top the pillar, he made his way through the tall saplings and the tangled undergrowth, following the faint trail weaving before him until he reached a clearing in the trees that formed a triangle; two of the sides seeming to shift and change incessantly. Inspecting them he found that one of the sides seemed to predominantly flash green and blue, while the other side flashed yellow and red. Tilting his head at this, he sat in the middle of the clearing, determined to wait out the others.<p>

"You can come out now. I feel I should at least be able to at least see the things in my mind that are causing me to doubt my sanity." He called out, bored after waiting for what seemed like an eternity.

The rustling of the trees was his only answer for a while, then a flash of what seemed to be fire swept his vision. Blinking to clear his eyes of the spots now decorating his vision, Harry turned back and was greeted by the sight of a majestic looking bird that looked highly similar to the Headmaster's familiar. Frowning in consternation, he was then drawn to a sight that sent chills through his blood at the other side of the clearing. Rising from the ground was a serpent that rivalled the Basilisk from the Chamber, its scales gleaming like gems in the light that filtered through the trees. Atop it's head rested a crest of startlingly green and blue feathers that complemented the sapphire and onyx scales that wended their way down the serpents body.

*Greetings Child.* The feminine voice he had heard before came from the bird, and he shook his head slightly. Turning to watch the bird he observed it's glimmering silver eyes that watched him with avid curiosity, and plucking up his courage he addressed the creatures before him.

"What are you doing in my head?" He ground out, feeling frustration sweep him, the mindscape shuddering and rippling in response to his magic swirling inside of him. The roiling of the earth seemed not to affect the others in his mind, but underneath their façade he could sense their nervousness at his display of unease.

*I am Nimue, and that is Mordred. We are the physical representations of the changes within your body and soul.* The Phoenix-like bird answered and Harry choked slightly. Sucking a deep breath back into his lungs, he fixed a glare on Nimue. She seemed to shrink beneath his gaze, and he felt almost guilty at this. A hissing laugh came from the serpent on his right, bewildered Harry turned to him, fixing his glare on the now chuckling snake.

*_Do not glare like that Child, we are only what we have been created asss.*_ Mordred hissed, fixing his golden gaze on Harry, who felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising in response. He remembered the description Moaning Myrtle had given him of her death and felt nausea sweep him.

"Don't tell me you're a… bloody Basilisk!" He snarled, his own eyes flashing in a combination of fear and anger. Turning back towards Nimue, he raised an eyebrow as he studied her properly. He watched her feathers flicker in a manner similar to a flame of a candle and the way her plumage seemed to crackle occasionally and wondered how he could have mistaken it in the first place.

"I guess that really makes you a Phoenix." He sighed rubbing a hand along the back of his neck in an attempt to calm himself down. Remembering the crucial thing about Basilisks and their powers, Harry turned and glanced at the massive serpent before staring down at his hands and flexing the fingers, contemplating them before pulling his thoughts together.

"How come I'm not petrified, or dead?" He asked finally, his voice small in the space of the clearing, yet well heard by both magical creatures. They glanced at each other finally.

*_Bassilissksss do not affect othersss of their own kind with their gaze, otherwissse it would be impossssible to create familiesss. Ssseeing asss you have already manifesssted your eyesss, you are not affected by the gaze of our kind.* _Mordred explained, and Harry looked up quizzically. Wracking his mind over this discovery he turned a helpless gaze to Nimue.

*When you were at your relatives' house, you felt great emotional distress; in the form of anger and sorrow. This allowed your creature eyes to manifest; getting rid of your need for glasses and changing the shape of your eyes.* Nimue trilled perching comfortably on a branch high off the ground and preening her gleaming gold and crimson feathers with relish, acting as though she had not just dropped this information onto him like a bombshell waiting to be detonated.  
>"You mean, I killed Aunt Marge?" He asked, shock drowning his voice, leaving it to rasp out his throat like sandpaper.<p>

*_No, no Child. You had only opened one ssset of eyelidsss. You only Petrified her._* Mordred was quick to say, trying to explain it to him.  
>"Wait wait wait. I have more than one pair of eyelids? How does that work?" He asked, baffled by the need and the change that he was unaware of manifesting. Mordred hissed another chuckle and moved forward, wrapping around Harry in as close to an embrace as a snake could manage, and urged him to make himself comfortable.<p>

*_Basssilisssksss have two eyelidsss. With both pairsss closssed, they are able to have people look in your eyesss without worrying about whether they will be harmed. With one pair open, the Petrifying happensss. With both open, death is the only option when viewing the eyesss of one of our you are human, you will have three eyelidsss as you already have a need for them to protect your eyesss. *_ He explained, raising his head to look at Harry and demonstrating the visual effects of each eyelid opening and closing. Apart from the eyelids moving, Harry noticed a change in the colour of the iris as each eyelid opened, the eye becoming more golden as the thin film was removed from it. Now that he had watched Mordred's demonstration, Harry could feel, if he concentrated hard, the subtle feeling of something gliding across the surface of his eyes, almost what he would imagine a contact lens to feel like. It was disconcerting to feel the difference and realise that if he hadn't seen the demonstration and heard the explanations he would never have noticed the difference apart from his improved eyesight. Nimue trilled a melody to catch his attention and fluffed her feathers at him.

*As you have manifested a trait from your serpentine side, I only feel it is right for me to gift you with something from my side as well.* Nimue said, and Harry turned to her with a protest on his lips. However he was too late, as a glowing ball of light travelled up from her throat and emerged from her beak, flying through the air and impacting with Harry's throat. The force it struck him with flung him from his mindscape and into consciousness.

* * *

><p>Groggily trying to stand, Harry swayed towards the bed, wincing as the stiffness in his limbs indicated he had been sitting in one position for far too long. Whimpering slightly at the feeling, he felt his eyes widen in alarm as his voice rang out with a clarity that reminded him of ancient melodies lost to the development of time. He didn't have long to contemplate his new voice as the cage door opened and a presence made themselves known. The heat radiating off the stranger both drew and repelled him, and he shivered again as dread dripped down his spine.<p>

"Hello there, Harry. I've been watching you for a while, and I believe it's about time we had some… fun."

* * *

><p><strong>Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters<strong>

Remy felt the weight of the stares boring into his back as, once more, he escaped the cafeteria into the relative quiet of Storm's glasshouses. He had been coming here more often after he had exorcized the ruthless energy from his system, although he still felt the tingling in his fingertips when he came into contact with Jean and Scott.

"Hello again, Remy; fancy seeing you out here." Storm greeted as she entered the greenhouse and set about creating several small rain clouds to water the plants within. Watching her work amongst the plants for a while, Remy sighed heavily.

"Ya t'ink I shoulda accept'd de mission." He stated, lighting a cigarette and ignoring the glare Storm sent half-heartedly at his stress relief as he planted his booted feet upon one of the table place strategically in front of the chair he was slumped in.

"No, I think that you have suffered enough, but we do need someone to try and stop those children from disappearing. The Mother does not hold a place in her heart for the abusers of the young." She murmured, setting down the trowel she had picked up, instead opting for guiding her rain clouds more closely, sending them rushing to the plants that needed them.

"Remy doesna und'rstan' how ya c'n stay so calm in dis situation, _mon Cher._ If wh't Cyclops' mission statemen' po'tray'd is true den ya need ta take action soon." He said unwilling to let the guilt in his chest show to the others. The remembered pain, both in his head and throughout his body in the form of phantom aches was enough to put him off volunteering his services for this mission; no matter how guilty he felt.

"I am saving my rage for when it is needed Remy." Storm said, laying her hand on his shoulder, pretending not to notice when he tensed up underneath her touch. Forcing himself to relax, he took a long drag on his cigarette and amused himself blowing smoke rings. The sound of footsteps quickly approaching the glasshouse drew both their attention, and Remy grumbled when Scott came into view.

"There's a new mission. Sabertooth had been spotted wreaking havoc downtown New York. The Professor has sent out the X-Men to apprehend him." He announced, and Remy stood reluctantly, his cigarette clasped between thin lips as he made sure his bo staff was in his pocket. Following quickly behind the others as they made their way to the Blackbird, he wondered within the depths of his mind whether or not this was as convenient as his instincts were telling him it was.

* * *

><p>The Blackbird landed on the roof of the mall with little disturbance. Remy's unease was growing as the trip progressed. Since when did they need the whole of the X-Men to apprehend and dispatch Sabertooth?<p>

"I coulda taken him, Cyke. You didn't need ta call out the whole team for someone like him." Logan growled, flexing his hands into fists as he gazed down at the city below him, already scouting out vantage points that he could utilise against Sabertooth.

"We need to cause the least amount of damage in the shortest amount of time to get him into our custody Wolverine. You couldn't promise that even if you swore on pain of death." Scott retorted, and despite himself, Logan snorted around his cigar.

"Goggles, the only way I'm gonna cark it is if someone takes my head clean off." He smirked, leaping down to the alley way below him and sauntering off, as though it was nothing.

"Alright team, keep an eye on the Wolverine and make sure to report back regularly. Jean, you and Remy team up, I want to be able to contact you both if something happens." Scott said and yet again, Remy cursed as they forgot the convenient little electronic communicator sewn into the fabric of their suits. Standing on the edge of the building, Remy scaled down the side, utilising the drainpipes and the uneven surfaces in the face of the building to propel him to the alleyway in double quick time. Not quite as efficient as Logan's mode of transport, but it would do for someone who was brought up by the Thieves' Guild in New Orleans.

"Try an' keep up _mon cher._ We do not 'ave all day." He drawled up at Jean, who looked vaguely impressed at his skill before lowering herself down to the street with her telekinesis.

"Alright let's get going." She said, a falsely bright smile making Remy snort before ambling out into the flow of the crowd, scouting the faces of the people and sensing the mood of the mob.

* * *

><p>After about half an hour of searching back streets and alcoves, Remy was growing impatient.<p>

"D' ya t'ink dat Summers has found de _Chat_?" He asked, tempering his tone so Jean wouldn't get offended.

"I'm not sure, let me check in." She answered, closing her eyes and lifting a hand to her temple, contacting Scott through their link. While he waited for her to finish their chat, Remy shuffled a deck of cards, walking them across his fingers before shuffling them again. Just as Jean seemed to finish her talk, a familiar scream tore through the air. They looked at each other and one thought crossed both their minds, "Rogue."

* * *

><p>Hurrying through the aimlessly milling crowds who seemed to be oblivious to the danger they were in, both Remy and Jean raced to the abandoned alley that the scream originated from; knowing that despite their call, the other X-Men would not be able to reach them for another ten minutes tops. Rounding the corner, they halted abruptly, the scene before them shocking to say the least.<br>Both Rogue and Wolverine were incapacitated, bound by thick chains of what looked to be adamantium, and standing over both of them, with a smug look on his face, was Sabertooth. Turning towards them, Creed grinned maliciously, licking the remnants of what looked to be blood from his claws.

"Ah it is _monsieur _Baglady wit' de 'orrible claws o' doom." Remy chuckled, hiding his nervousness at the situation behind the insults.

"If it isn't the Swamp Rat, Sinister has missed you greatly; and I have missed our time together." Sabertooth leered, and Logan thrashed in his chains, the blood on his suit revealing him to be the one Sabertooth hurt, not Rogue. "Quiet Runt. We're just reminiscing over old times."

"Wha' are ya doin' 'ere _mon ami?_ 'as _le docteur_ finally given up on ya?" Remy asked, attempting to draw Creed's attention from the people behind him.

"Ah, Sinister wants ya back Swamp Rat. An' I intend to deliver." Sabertooth smirked, lifting Rogue up by the throat and squeezing, the high neckline of her shirt protecting him from her powers. As Rogue began to choke; Jean attempting to draw Sabertooth away by influencing him telepathically, shock marring her features when he brushed aside her probe with ease.

"Sinister has improved his material since ya last saw him girly. I'm immune to such trifles now." Creed growled, baring his pointed teeth in a grim parody of a smile.

"What do you want?" She cried out as Rogue began struggling for breath, the chains clinking weakly as she was slowly but surely deprived of oxygen.

"Tell ya what, we'll do a trade, the Swamp Rat… for the little Missy and the Runt."

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

Harry was singing quietly to himself, hoping not to draw attention to himself; yet trying to use his voice to ease the loneliness. The melody drifted aimlessly through the halls, and found its way into the control booth, ensnaring the mind of the guard on duty and drawing him into the forbidden corridor. The zombie-like appearance of the man was lost on Harry who cowered away from him, ceasing his singing and unknowingly releasing the man from his enchantment. Looking around in bewilderment, the guard quickly realised where he was, and evacuated the area quickly, heading towards the lab where Dr Sinister was preparing for later experiments.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt your preparations, but there has been an evolution in the powers of the mutant in the Alpha Corridor." He said, chills sweeping his spine as Sinister locked eyes with him and barrelled into his mind with no qualms. Drawing the information about the encounter from the man's mind, Sinister grinned. Maybe this experiment would be more informative then he originally thought. His musings were disrupted as Sabertooth swept into the lab, a near unconscious Remy dragged behind him. Heaving Remy upright, Creed grinned in delight, tilting his head towards Sinister.

"Look Swamp Rat, it's your favourite Doctor." He whispered into Remy's ear, and Remy groaned in response, his bruised face warped into a mask of horror as he realised that he was back in the place of his nightmares.

"Excellent work Sabertooth, take him to the Alpha Corridor." Sinister said, leering down at Remy, who was dragging himself further into consciousness in an attempt to make a better plan in this situation. Grinning, Creed dipped his head to Sinister and walked off, letting Remy be dragged behind him as he moved away.

* * *

><p>Laughing in response to Remy's feeble protests, Creed opened the door opposite Harry's cell and threw him in, locking the door firmly behind him before Remy could gather himself. Cursing Remy listened to Sabertooth whistle merrily as he headed off down the corridor towards his quarters.<p>

"W-whose there?" A soft voice rang out from across the hall, and Remy dragged himself to his feet to stare at the teenager who was tilting his head as though trying to pick up the minute sounds Remy was making as he moved.

"The name be Remy, _mon petit._ Wh't 're ya doin' here? Dis is no place for a _garcon_." Remy said, taking in the pitiful sight Harry made and wincing when Harry turned his head to catch the sound, noticing the blindfold over his eyes.

"My family sold me out, Remy. Besides, I wouldn't be able to find my way out of here with my eyes like this. It's too dangerous until I have more control." He replied, moving to sit beside the bars at the front of his cage so that Remy could still see him, but he didn't tire his legs out, the soft clink of the handcuffs echoing eerily in the corridor.

"Wh't's wrong wit' ya eyes _cher_? Ya don' look so dangerous ta me." Remy questioned, wanting the boy to keep talking, knowing that if he was the only one in this corridor, it must have been ages since the child had had human contact that didn't try to hurt him.

"My eyes can kill or petrify with a single look… I don't have enough control over them to stop myself from doing it unintentionally. I can't even check to see which ones have opened." Remy wasn't sure whether he was supposed to have heard that last part, but it seemed as though the boy had an interesting mutation in his eyes.

"Don' worry, _mon petit._ Ya will be able ta use dem ta ya likin' wit' practise. Jus' ya wait." Remy said, while inspecting the cell around him. Attempting to charge a button he had pulled off his coat, he cursed fervently when the charge was dispelled before it could reach the correct stage to be any use.

"What's wrong Remy?" He asked quietly, and Remy felt frustration sweep through him in a blazing trail.

"Sinister 'as block'd ma power_ cher_, an' I can n't break ya free until he slips up." Remy explained, and Harry sighed, moving back across the cage and settling onto his bed.

"Maybe I can figure out how to work my eyelids then." He murmured quietly, unaware that both Remy, and the Doctor were listening to him.

"What's ya name _mon petit?_" Remy called, and blushing deeply, the near teen called across the corridor.

"It's Harry, just Harry."

* * *

><p><strong>Translations<strong>

**mon petit: my Little One**

**monsieur: mister**

**cher: dear etc**

**garcon: boy, young man...**

**le docteur: the Doctor**

**mon cher: my Dear  
><strong>

**Chat: Cat  
><strong>

**mon ami: My friend**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry about the lateness of this update, the excuse is rather long, involves nerve damage, the failure of a cooling system and the writer's block of DOOOOM! However, I bring you the next chapter in the series XD Bleh... I just realised there was no disclaimer for the last chapter... guh.**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD**

**WordCount: 4110**

**Chapter 6**

They talked late into the night, Harry explaining to Remy about his life with the Dursley's and Remy's life with the Thieves' Guild in New Orleans. Harry listened intently, enthralled by the embellishments Remy added to his stories and glad to have something to break the monotony of the life he had been living before Remy had been captured. It was hard to tell the difference between days at the facility, Harry's previously impeccable internal body clock had started malfunctioning without exposure to the natural rise and fall of either the sun or the moon. Remy had started to notice that Harry was getting colder and colder within his cell, the air conditioning turned up by the guards lowering Harry's over all body heat and leaving him sluggish and vulnerable. Often Harry lapsed into phases of lucidity, but more often than not he slept, conserving his energy as they limited his food supply as well.

'Jus' 'ang on _ma petite._' Remy thought, watching with both relief and dread as Dr Sinister himself checked on Harry's progress before placing a heater in the cell with him. As the cell heated up, Harry stirred a little, his arms coming up to shield his head as he registered an unknown presence within his space. Remy wasn't that surprised to see the reaction after hearing what Harry's relatives were like, but Dr Sinister observed the defensive stance with a clinical interest that Remy didn't like the look of. Spotting Remy watching through the bars, Dr Sinister sauntered over, motioning for one of the guards to take Harry away.

"I never would have pegged you for a voyeur Mr LeBeau." He sneered, searching Remy's face for any hint that his barb had struck. He had his answer when he had to jerk away from the bars to avoid being hit by Remy's fist.

" 'arry be not'in' more den _un garcon, _no one shou'd be lookin' at him, much less t'inkin' o' 'im in dat way, especially you!" Remy spat, retracting his clenched fist from between the bars as his eyes began glowing with his supressed powers.

"Unfortunately for you, not many others in this facility feel the same way… one of those being Creed. Don't worry about slipping from my favour though; I am waiting for your appointment with great relish." Sinister chuckled as he pushed through the door at the end of the hallway and disappeared from view, leaving Remy with a sick feeling of dread within his stomach.

* * *

><p>Later, an entourage of guards dragged an exhausted Harry back to his cell and threw him into it, ignoring his hissed complaints as the y laughed about some comedy show they had been watching on their breaks. As their voices faded Remy watched silently as Harry sat up carefully and felt around his chest gently. Pressing carefully along a series of places, Harry seemed happy with something and Remy fought the urge to ask about it. In this sort of place it was better not to know what was happening to the others in case the doctors decided you needed the same kind of treatment as well.<p>

"Remy, do you every feel like everything you know, or thought you knew was a dream?" He asked quietly, his voice wavering with an emotion that Remy hoped he'd never hear from Harry. The tone of such a deep, unrelenting despair in Harry's voice left Remy with no doubt that Harry was starting to doubt the knowledge he had of the world outside the facility, and that was dangerous. If he forgot about it completely, he would become more compliant and malleable; Remy had seen this happen before, and the mutant had become so despondent that they had even started suggesting experiments. He would hate for something like that to happen to Harry, the boy had grown on him.

"Somet'mes it may feel like dat _mon petite_, but you have de mem'ries of y'ur friends and de evidence o' y'ur adventures are imprinted in y'ur very body." Remy whispered, and despite the lowered tone of his voice, he knew Harry had heard him, because the boy had turned towards the him and a small smile graced his lips.

"It's good that you are here, Remy. I don't think that I would believe anyone else if they attempted to say that to me… Because I know they would not be as sincere in their belief."

* * *

><p>Time passed with a strange, dragging sort of dread for Remy. Unbeknownst to him, Dr Sinister had drugged both him and Harry, and taken the boy into the lab and was performing more tests on him. Remy had fallen into unconsciousness soon after his conversation with Harry and he reasoned that Sinister must have put vaporized sedatives into the air conditioning and waited until that point to pounce. Remy had woken feeling as though someone had taken a sledgehammer to his skull and then let a dozen mice with clogs on into the remnants to dance the can-can. Spotting that Harry was missing again, he felt the bottom of his stomach drop out as he heard the guards laughing about Harry's next experiment. He was unable to gather enough information about the procedure, and all he could get from the guards was that the Doctor was removing some delicate tissue. Now, Harry had been gone for what felt like a decade, and Remy was getting anxious about the health of the young man.<br>The sound of a door slamming open echoed off the walls of the passage, and he was able to hear the sound of the attendants dragging something down the middle of the corridor. A pained whimper that seemed to follow the intruders was the thing that chilled Remy's spine, it sounded dangerously similar to Harry's voice. As they came into his view, he cursed loudly.

"Wh't did ya _batard_ _doctuer _do ta 'im?" Remy growled as the bandaging around Harry's eyes, bandages that were becoming stained with red as more time passed.

"That doesn't concern you LeBeau. All that matters now is that the incisions don't become infected." One of the orderlies snapped as the others threw the now moaning boy into the cage, ignoring his pained cries as they locked the doors and headed back towards the other inhabitants of the facility, mutants that had be sufficient subdued and were no longer a threat to their health.

"'arry! 'arry! _Mon petit_ 're ya ok'y?" Remy called frantically across the hallway, and he heard in return the sound of repressed sobs. Craning his neck to get a better look at the crumpled form on the floor, Remy growled when the bars blocked him from taking a closer look. He heard Harry whimper once more then silence swept the hallway.

"C'mon _Mon petit _ya need ta tell Remy wh't 'appened so 'e know who ta kill."

"He won't answer ya Swamp Rat, they didn't give him enough anaesthetic to combat the pain factor, he's in shock." The amused voice of Victor Creed echoed along the corridor from his position leaning against the door of one of the empty cells.

"Wh't did ya do ta 'im? 'e's jus' _un_ _garcon,_ 'e shoul'n'ta 'ad ta deal wit' de likes o' ya." Remy spat, his anger charging smaller objects around his cell, the dampener on his powers stopping it from forming anything lifethreatening for the mutant who was now leisurely making his way down the corridor, stopping outside Harry's cell to stare at the young man with a grim expression of triumph on his lips.

"Ah, the smell of innocence, nothing like it to get the blood pumping," He growled, turning away from the sight before him to stare at Remy, "However, you're wrong Swamp Rat. It wasn't me who had the pleasure of playing with the little guy; the Doctor himself had that privilege."

"Dat tells me not'ing _Chat_, wh't did ya do ta 'is eyes?" Remy spat, refusing to flinch away from Sabertooth as he sauntered closer to the bars.

"The Doctor found out that the boy had a different system of using his powers that blocked it off. So he removed them to analyse it for potential; you know, so that he can control the kid without having to fear being turned into a statue." Creed rambled, talking about it as though he was commenting on the weather.

"Wait, so ya mean ta tell me, ya removed 'is eyelids?" Remy snarled, horrified at the concept of something like that happening to such a delicate part of the body.

"The Doctor seems to think that the kid is still developing his powers, but that's enough about that. It's your turn next."

* * *

><p>Harry was in pain. The nerve endings surrounding his eyes screamed at him and no matter what he did he couldn't relieve the tension on them. His eyes itched and watered, the rough fabric scraping across the delicate tissue setting his teeth on edge. He couldn't even take off the stupid bandages in case he looked at Remy and killed him, not to mention the fact that his hands were still shackled together behind him. Whimpering to himself, he rolled over; trying to stop the light from filtering into his optic nerves through the fabric.<p>

*Oh child…* Nimue trilled, sorrow staining her song as she pulled him into his mindscape.

"Can't you do anything about this?" He cried, his eyes becoming dry in the air around him, anger at his situation making his eyes prickle as tears forced their way out of the mangled ducts.

*_Unfortunately, becaussse of the nature of the Inheirtance of Magicsss, your body cannot cope with the introduction of more powersss at thisss ssstage.*_ Mordred said sorrowfully, wrapping himself around Harry in an attempt to comfort him.

"When can you do something about this?" He asked quietly, leaning into Mordred's embrace as he resisted the urge to rub his eyes, knowing that it would only be worse once he went back to his own body and came out from the refuge of his mind. Sometimes, not often, the little injuries he got within his mind surfaced on his body in reality, and he had no intention of making his eyes any worse than they already were.

*Your next birthday will offer us the chance to give you another gift each… but you will need another break in between receiving each of them.* Nimue replied as she landed on Mordred's tail and began running her beak gently through the matted mess of his hair. The soothing gesture comforted Harry somewhat, but within the darkest corner of his mind, he knew that the comfort was only temporary, and when he surfaced he would be facing something much worse. Sighing he nuzzled into the caress to soak up what affection he could.

"When will that happen? I haven't been able to see for ages and being locked in that cell has done a number on my ability to tell what day it is." He asked quietly, frowning when he felt an abrupt tug right behind his stomach, as though his body was trying to wake him up forcefully. Stubbornly, he kept a tight hold of his mindscape; refusing to leave before he had the answers he needed.

*In another week you shall have your thirteenth birthday, Harry. Until then, just be patient and try not to aggravate your condition too much. There is too much at stake for you to risk further damage to you.*Nimue trilled gently, nudging Harry and disrupting his thought processes enough that he was forced back into the real world, the abrupt transition leaving him reeling.

* * *

><p>Trying to make sense of the change in surroundings, Harry was temporarily unaware of the pain in his body as the sound of something striking flesh echoed around the corridor.<p>

"Stop struggling ya slippery little Rat; it will only hurt more, the more you make me discipline you." The sound of the glee in Creed's voice reminded Harry distinctly of Dudley and his baiting and hurting of those vulnerable to his machinations. Anger slowly built up in his body, and when Remy cried out again, Harry didn't think, he just reacted. His magic, formerly bound tightly by the collar on his neck overwhelmed the parameters in place on the metal and crashed into Sabertooth with the force of a speeding bus, flinging the man away from his victim and into the corridor, where he slid along the ground before connecting with the doors at the end, alerting the guards outside to the turmoil inside.  
>Shaking with the effort it took to overpower the collar, Harry sank back onto the cot, a cold sweat forming over his body as the collar flared back into life, ruthlessly sucking his strength from him until all he could do was lie there on the cot as though he was boneless, a strange cold seeping deep into his bones.<br>The sound of footsteps approaching his cell drew a sense of dread through Harry's thoughts like a hot wire, searing into him a pervading horror at the thought of being helpless before whoever was meandering down the hallway.

"Ah, it seems as though you have overexerted yourself young Harry." The oily sound of Doctor Sinister's voice washed Harry's senses with the feeling of being distinctly unclean. "However that simply will not do, we cannot have you throwing my men around like toys simply because you disapprove of how they discipline the other members of this institution."  
>The tone of voice shifted, and Harry was hard pressed to keep from frowning in consternation. Doctor Sinister's voice had changed to sound like Remy's and Harry didn't know how he was doing it.<p>

"_Stop IT!_" Harry cried out, an unknown melody mingling with his voice and compelling Doctor Sinister to comply with his wishes. Against his will, Sinister halted his movements and walked over to Harry's cell, reverting back to his normal form while standing with glassy eyes. Unsure of what was happening, Harry shrunk back into the corner of the cot and unwittingly released the Doctor from his thrall. Coming back to his senses, the Doctor observed the quivering form of the boy in front of him with interest then distaste.

"While your new power may be interesting, Young Potter; I have already observed the effects of someone with the power of enthrallment through vocalisation. We will have to deal with that another time so you don't go interfering with the running of this facility." He drawled, reminding Harry vividly of Draco. It was said with the same sense of superiority, and the same belief that everything he did or said was the will of the Gods.

[Sssaysss you; you ignorant, sssadistic piece of -] Harry hissed out, unaware that in his anger he was speaking in Parseltoungue, startling the others in the same vicinity. However the Doctor's reaction to his abrupt change in language was simply to shoot him with a sedative dart, knocking him out once again.

"I think you will find your stay here much more uncomfortable from now on, Young Potter." The Doctor mused as he looked down at the boy's unconscious form. "Seeing how you cope with it shall be an experience I will enjoy immensely."

* * *

><p>Remy heard the Doctor's ramblings and cursed, kicking out at Sabertooth in an attempt to get free.<p>

"Don't touch 'im ya slimy – " Sabertooth cut of the rest of Remy's curse with kick in retaliation. Wheezing as the air rushed out of his lungs, Remy panted to try and catch his breath back, knowing that tomorrow it would be nearly impossible for him to move himself around.

"Harry was essentially sold here by his relatives Mr LeBeau, and as such, I now have complete control over him and his rights. In saying that, if I decide he needs to do something, he shall do it without any say in the matter. You were not part of the agreement, nor are you a blood relative of this young man; therefore, you have no power and no legal standing to contradict my orders. If you were free to do so anyway. You are a prisoner here as much as he is and in saying that, you have no rights to anything whatsoever." Sinister said, each words enunciated perfectly and dropping onto Remy like a forty tonne weight, causing him to flinch at the meaning.

"Ya 're only sayin' dat coz ya 'ave Gambit on a leash, _docteur_. Believe me, ya would n't stan' ag'inst me if Gambit w're free." Remy snarled, dodging a punch from Sabertooth, but too hindered to block the second kick that slammed into his ribs. Coughing harshly, Remy wiped his mouth and glared balefully up at them, his mind shield working overtime as Sinister attempted to influence his actions.

"One of these days, Mr LeBeau, I will break into your shields. Then we will discover how smart mouthed you can be when it is you performing these acts and not myself."

* * *

><p>Harry woke, his mind rebelling against the alertness he forced himself into. His ears strained to pick up the movements and sounds he would usually associate with Remy, and he began to panic when they didn't register.<p>

*Calm down Harry, they are probably 'testing' him as well.* Nimue's voice offered a small sense of comfort to him, letting his mind relax a little as he thought about the facility for the first time, analysing the thought processes of the people here and wondering briefly if they knew just what it was they were playing with when it came to himself. Harry could feel a more animalistic side of himself drawing nearer as his birthday loomed, and he knew that once he had been backed too tightly into the corner, all hell would break loose.

"Wouldn't they already know a lot about Remy? I mean, they've had him in here before and surely they would have done at least some testing on him then." He inquired quietly, stretching a cramp out of one of his legs gently, unable to help it along quicker because of the cuffs on his wrists.

*_I believe that they think that becaussse Remy hasss been away from their influenccce for ssso long, he will have developed more in a way they have not been able to chart. Therefore, their data isss not up to date, and they have the possssibility that he will be able to essscape without thought.*_ Mordred replied and Harry sighed, the sound coming out with more sibilance as his mind unconsciously switched his language between Parseltongue and English.

[_I think I ssshould practissse my Parssseltongue abilitiesss.] _Harry murmured, finding it a lot easier to talk in Parseltongue when Mordred made his presence known inside his head.

*You will need to be careful young Hatchling. If you talk too much in Parseltongue, the humans here may be able to make a cipher, or even copy the ability through one of those machines they have in the laboratory. The last thing this world needs is an uprising from the reptilian world.* Nimue cautioned, and Harry yawned once again, feeling the muscles move in his throat as he made a conscious decision not to use Parseltongue, changing the register his voice used. Sitting up on the small cot, he immediately winced as he realised how terrible his eyes felt and the lengths these scientists would go to, to establish a superior race of beings.

"You don't think that they will do something like this to Remy, do you?" He murmured, and before either Nimue or Mordred could answer, the doors down the end of the hallway burst open, and the sound of Remy cursing in his native tongue reached Harry's sensitive ears. The words were punctuated occasionally by the pained grunt of an orderly who had come too close to the booted feet of the Cajun and had been kicked viciously for his efforts. The door across the hall clanged open, and Remy was thrown unceremoniously into his cell, tucking and rolling his body so he was on his feet in no time at all.

"Next time ya t'ink o' stickin' somet'in' in a guy, warn 'im first den we woul'n't be in dis situation." The cheerful tone of voice drew a chuckle from Harry, and the movement across the hall stilled.

"I believe that you are going to have to see Dr. Sinister for some drops for your eyes. He's going to want to keep them peepers in top shape for all those tests he wants to perform." The guard said almost conversationally, the slight hint of joy in his voice spoke of his genuine like of seeing other beings in situations that caused them pain.

"Don' go threatenin' 'arry _monsieur, _I'm sure ya realise dat it is a v'ry dangerous exercise, no?" Remy drawled, his casual stance translated into the cadence of his voice. The guards hastily withdrew from the corridor, unwilling to face more than the required amount of time with the former thief. After all, his skills did not just come from his mutation; and in an all-out brawl he was very, very dangerous.

"That was very kind of you Remy, but you know they are going to be focusing on you a lot more now to try and keep you complacent. They don't like it when we band together." Harry murmured, twisting his body and standing in a fluid movement. Crossing to the middle of his cell, he began to pace the width of it, determined to get at least some exercise before the next lot of experiments rolled around.

"Don' matta if dey try anyt'in' wi'h me, _mon petite_, ya need all de 'elp ya c'n get in dis place." Remy replied, watching with amusement as Harry tried to listen to him while walking and ended up running into the cot in his cell, the hushed fall of curse words drifting to his ears lucidly.

"Yeah, but even if that happens, they're going to start using us against each other in an attempt to make us more willing to co-operate with the tests they do." Harry explained while he attempted to rub his shins.

"Ya jus' let ol' Remy t'ink about dat. 'E won' set ya wr'ng." he replied, and they fell into a companionable silence, the tension caused by the guards melting away as they both relaxed as much as was possible.

* * *

><p><strong>The Burrow<strong>

"Hey Gred, isn't that Hedwig?"

"I'm pretty sure it is Forge... wonder if our dear little Apprentice got up to anything interesting he wants to tell us about." The other twin replied, opening the window swiftly before the other inhabitants in the house decided to look outside and saw Hedwig.

"Hey girl, is Harry alright?" Fred asked her as she landed on the headboard of his bed. Her large amber eyes blinked sorrowfully up at him, and she held out her leg to him with a subdued hoot.

"George, look at this!" He exclaimed, handing over the letter he had just skimmed, opting to instead untie the rest of the bundle from Hedwig and get her some water.

"Blimey, sounds like Harry's in a bit of trouble. Why didn't he just send Hedwig to Dumbledore instead of to us? It's not like we are going to be able to tell where he is." George murmured, flopping down onto the bed beside Fred, holding the letter above them so they could re-read the contents together.

"Think about it brother mine, Harry said he had talked to Dumbledore about what his relatives were like before, yet Dumbledore always sends him back to that place. How do you think that is going to make Harry feel? Would you put your trust in someone who doesn't care enough about you to ensure your relatives feed you enough?" Fred answered with a snort of disgust, when they had found out about Dumbledore's nonchalant attitude towards Harry's home environment, Dumbledore had been subjected to some of their more humiliating pranks.

"Still, it sounds as though he doesn't expect to be rescued, as though he is going to attempt a break out." George sighed, staring out the window at the clouds rolling past.

"If anyone can get out of a dangerous situation, it's our Harry." Fred grinned, poking George in the side. They lay in silence for a few more moments before they simultaneously spotted the silvery cloak lying amongst Harry's most prized possessions.

"Isn't that...?"

"I believe it is."

They looked at each other, and a wicked grin spread across their faces.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait for another chapter, I had my birthday happen among other things so I hope you enjoy this chapter like I enjoyed my birthday XD**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD**

**WordCount: 4275**

**Chapter Seven**

**The Burrow**

Despite the ample chance at using it for the brilliant art of pranking, the use of Harry's invisibility cloak, however tempting it may have been to the twins, waited for the opportunity for them to discover more about Harry's living conditions. About a week after Hedwig had arrived from Harry with his note, Dumbledore arrived at the Burrow in a flourish of multi-coloured robes during lunch. Both Ron and Ginny had to be sent to their rooms when they bombarded the Headmaster with questions about Harry, neither letting the old man get a word in edge ways. Percy left the table in a huff, stating he had other more important things to be doing than keep a track of the next generation of troublemakers, while the twins knew he was really hurrying upstairs to talk to his girlfriend Penelope. The Headmaster had stepped from the hearth; vanishing the soot off himself with a twinkle in his eyes, and the twins exchanged a significant look between themselves when their parents told them to go and de-gnome the garden. Their mischief senses went onto high alert at this statement and instead of heading out to the garden straight away, George headed upstairs on the pretence of going to the loo, while instead he was collecting the invisibility cloak from their room. Sneaking back downstairs and into the kitchen under the cloak required them to use all their knowledge of the environment inside the kitchen as well as their considerable repertoire of stealth from their pranking skills to remain undetected. Situating themselves into a corner that was hardly used at all, they waited with baited breath to hear what Dumbledore had arrived at the Burrow for.

"Well Molly, Arthur, how are things at your end?" Dumbledore asked after placing privacy charms on the door that would deter eavesdroppers, it was obviously a conversation about Harry as no other conversation with the Headmaster had required such extensive use of the charm before. Storing away the wand movements and the incantation for later perusal, the twins settled down to listen into the coming information.

"We've heard nothing from Harry since his relatives came to pick him up from the train station. It's strange that neither Ron nor Hermione have heard from Harry, he doesn't seem like the type of person to ignore people completely." Molly said, worry becoming evident in her voice as she busied herself cleaning up the table from lunch.

"Yes, well, maybe his relatives are being more amicable this holidays Molly dear. He didn't ask to stay over this time, although, I did see that he was off the train before both Ron and Hermione this year. Usually he would come off with them at the same time, so he could spend as much time with them as possible before heading through the barrier." Arthur mused watching Molly bustle about busily, his voice reflecting the thought he was putting into the conundrum.

"I myself, noticed that the magical signature from Harry seemed to be coming from the last compartment of the last carriage on the train. Isn't that where your twins usually sit?" Dumbledore asked, running a hand down his beard, his eyes twinkling merrily, the twins jumped at the mention, they hadn't realised that the Headmaster had been listening to the gossip of the student body enough to realise that they had claimed that carriage, they would have to change it up next year to put both the students and the teachers on guard. Zoning back into the conversation, they found their parents talking about their response to their questioning.

"The boys didn't report anything unusual about Harry's behaviour, in fact they seemed rather proud with how Harry's turned out. Apparently Harry approached them about getting into the prank business, so it seems as though Harry wanted a bit of different company. Maybe Ron and Hermione were just pushing too hard for Harry to discuss what actually happened down in the Chamber? After all, they weren't there for what they would think of as the most exciting piece of the adventure; the piece that Harry would find the most traumatic would be the part they most want to hear about don't you think?" Arthur offered, his explanation making a logical excuse for the rift between the Golden Trio.

"Maybe Harry just wanted to spend time with Fred and George because they know how to make people laugh." Molly said sagely, flicking her wand at the dusting of flour on the bench beside her and it cleared itself up in no time.

"Perhaps… in any case, it would be best if you keep an eye out for Hedwig in case Harry wants to get in touch." Dumbledore informed them, and the twins looked at each other under the cloak. It seemed as though the adults here didn't even know Harry was missing, let alone not at all happy with either Ron or Hermione. If the situation wasn't so dire, they would have congratulated each other for teaching Harry enough of a mask to fool even the Headmaster.

"Why is there such an interest in this information now Dumbledore? It's been weeks since we've seen Harry." Arthur asked and the twins leaned forwards to listen more intently.

"The objects anchoring the wards around Privet Drive went haywire about two weeks ago before completely stopping for about five minutes. Then they started working again as if nothing happened, it's not unusual for this to happen in the event of a near death experience, but the charm monitoring Harry's health never even wavered into the yellow." Dumbledore explained, and although Fred and George didn't completely understand the implications behind the malfunctioning objects, one thing was certain. They needed to get to Privet Drive as quickly as possible. Looking at each other, they slipped upstairs, deposited the invisibility cloak in their school trunk and headed out to the garden to catch the gnomes.

"Hey George, how are we going to get to Surrey without asking Mum and Dad for help? It's not like we can just fly there like we used to with the car." Fred asked quietly as they whirled the gnomes over the hedge into the field beyond.

"I'm not sure Fred, who do we know that can safely get us through the barrier to Harry's house without drawing too much attention to our departure?" He replied, wracking his brain for all the contacts he knew.

"Maybe we could Floo to Gringotts then get a portkey to Surrey?" Fred mused biffing one gnome with extra force across the hedge. George turned to him with inquisitive eyes.

"Think about it, we could say it was under the pretence of talking to Bill about Curse-breaking as a future occupation if Mum and Dad ask where we're going. And if Bill gets too interested, we could tell him that we needed to talk to Harry about future prank scenarios without Mum and Dad listening in on us and disrupting our plans. Bill loved our pranks when he still lived with us. Besides, we'll have enough money to get there with the vault Harry's opened for us." He explained, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulder comfortably as they sat down on a nearby stump to take a break from the de-gnoming.

"Alright, let's send a letter, and then talk to Mum about it. The sooner we talk to her, the quicker we can Floo to Gringotts."

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

The atmosphere inside the laboratory was tense as guards were kept to the maximum amount possible. While the doctor had indeed put drops into Harry's eyes, he had yet to deal with the problem of his voice, and both Harry and Remy hoped that he had forgotten about it. Sadly it was not to be as a situation had arisen when Harry had enthralled two of the guards on duty outside of the corridor accidently, causing them to start an impassioned debate over the flavour of the water within the facility. When they had finally been released, Dr Sinister had issued a set of earplugs to the remaining guards on duty to deal with the dulcet tones of Harry's voice. Privately, Remy was hoping that it would not come to the removal of anything else from Harry's body, but he knew that the doctor would not be as forgiving the second time around.

" 'ow are ya 'oldin' up _mon petit_?" He queried and watched Harry's head rise off the thin pillow to allow as many of the sounds echoing around him to his ears as possible.

"My eyes don't hurt as much as before, although the cloth is doing nothing for them." He replied with a quirk of his lips that couldn't be called a smile considering the situation they were in.

" Ya are a year old'r t'morrow, I 'ope that ya kn'w dat _mon petit._" Remy reminded, knowing that there was no way for Harry to be keeping a track of the days in here, while he had a body clock that functioned no matter what environment he found himself in.

"Are you sure about that Remy?" Harry asked quietly and Remy smirked to himself, knowing that he shouldn't really be offended by the young man's disbelief, after all, how did Harry know the conditioning he had been through. Stories, not matter how detailed, could never be a substitute for the actual benefit of witnessing something, or trying it yourself.

"As sure as y'ur name is 'arry _mon petit_." He replied, the amused tone of his voice translating through to Harry and making him grimace in response.

"And here I thought you didn't know it after all those pet names you gave me." Harry joked hauling himself upright and seating himself across his cot so he was facing Remy with his back supported by the wall behind him.

"Ya sho'lda known bett'r, Remy wou'd ne'er fo'get yer name _cher_. It's not in 'is nature." Remy responded grinning in delight over the fact that Harry was finally opening up enough to joke with him. It had taken a while after he had come back from the last lot of test to get him to believe in the good things again.

The sound of a multitude of footsteps echoed down the corridor and they both tensed, knowing that no matter who was leaving, Harry would be negatively affected by the experience anyway. However, it was not Remy who was being taken away today. The orderlies entered Harry's cell, plugs firmly in place and dragged him from it, no thought given to the comfort of the mutant between them as their hands gripped him firmly enough to bruise. As the doors closed behind them, Remy growled softly in his throat, knowing that the doctor was finally upholding his threat. However, it was not to be only Harry who got tested today he found out. Another contingent of guards and orderlies entered the corridor from the opposite end and dragged him out to another laboratory.

"Ah, so nice of you to join us today Mr LeBeau, as you can see, we have been busy examining the genetic structure of your young friend and we have come up with some rather interesting little quirks that could be a breakthrough in regards to your particular mutation." Dr Sinister said a sadistic grin spreading across his face as he held up a vial of liquid that looked suspiciously like blood.

"This little sample is the first of a test batch that could revolutionise the genetic code of mutants everywhere, creating a new race of super mutants. Of course, this is just the prototype. The genetic material from Mr Potter is extraordinary, far more complex than I would have thought possible." He explained, his tone of voice never reaching a register that would have made anyone think he was discussing anything other than the weather.

"Ya 're messin' wit' som't'in' ya 'ave no aut'ority ta." Remy warned, jerking in his bonds when he heard a muted scream of rage from close by.

"Ah, they must be sedating Mr Potter now. I can't wait to examine his larynx, the vocal range he has exhibited so far is exquisite." The Doctor mused, loading a syringe with the contents of the tube, tapping the air bubble from the needle before inserting it into Remy's right arm. As the plunger descended, Remy felt an icy pain spreading upwards to his shoulder before it circled down into his chest. Shuddering at the sensation, he attempted to suck a breath into his lungs, finding even that task had become strained.

"I will be seeing how you have progressed later Mr LeBeau. Right now I have an appointment with Mr Potter." Dr Sinister informed Remy, running a hand along his arm, unerringly following the path the concoction was taking through his veins. Cursing under his breath, Remy attempted to stay in control of his faculties, forcing his eyes back into focus as he watched the Doctor leave the room through increasingly darker snap shots of time. Unable to keep himself conscious any longer, Remy subsidedback onto the gurney and felt his body begin to twitch violently as the serum bonded with his blood and started to change him.

* * *

><p>As soon as the orderlies had entered the cell, Harry knew that today was not going to turn out well for either Remy or himself. He could practically taste the anticipation from the guards on the air, and he couldn't help but release a shiver that made its way down his spine. Letting his head loll on his shoulders, he was able to make out the direction they were heading by listening to the echo of the footsteps down the corridor. Twisting slightly in the grip of his captors, Harry listened intently and was able to make out the distant sound of Remy cussing out whoever was approaching him. Smirking slightly under his blindfold, Harry allowed his body to drop back into position between the orderlies, making them grunt slightly as he suddenly turned into a dead weight.<p>

A pause in their movement alerted Harry to the fact they were passing through a secure door that required verification to open, a sliding hiss announced the way open, and they passed through. The atmosphere inside the room they were now in was vastly different to the environment in the hallways they had previously passed through. The chill inside the laboratory bit into Harry's body, and he felt the shivers begin to run through his body in response to the bitter chill of the air conditioned room. He had asked Mordred why he had such a reaction to the cold, and the large snake had replied that it was because of the combination of being both cold-blooded and a creature of fire.

Hissing slightly under his breath as he was lifted and placed onto a cold metal gurney, Harry began to feebly resist being strapped down, knowing there was little he could do once he lost feeling in his fingers as his body began pulling the heat into his torso. Biting at whatever was closest to him, he grinned in delight when several of the orderlies withdrew away from the range of his teeth. His triumph was short-lived when he felt something slip over his head and force him to lie flat or risk choking himself. A screech of rage erupted from his lips when he felt the orderlies finish strapping him down and administer the sedative. Sub-vocal growls echoed from his throat as he lost control of his senses and floated away into reach of his mindscape.

* * *

><p>"We have seriously got to stop meeting like this." Harry growled as Mordred caught his falling body as he abruptly entered his mindscape. A hissing laugh escaped Mordred's mouth, and earned him a reproachful gaze from Nimue.<p>

*Don't worry Harry, it's not as bad as you think. Mr LeBeau was correct about the fact it is only a short amount of time until your birthday.* Nimue explained, gently running her beak through Harry's hair and teasing the knots out of it. Relaxing back into her ministrations, Harry examined his mindscape with his senses, allowing the peace that emanated from the forest to work the tension out of his muscles. The silence was strangely comforting, yet Harry found himself missing Remy's voice.

"Do you think that once we get out of this place, Remy will still want to see me?" Harry asked hesitantly, turning his face into the smooth scales of Mordred's side to offer Nimue access to the rest of his hair.

*_I don't think that Mr LeBeau isss the sssort of perssson to leave a companion in the lurch.*_ Mordred hissed thoughtfully, and Harry smiled gently at the thought. An insistent nudge made itself known to Harry, and he frowned as he identified what it was.

"Oh look, Sinister is attempting to break in again… maybe he thinks that my mind is more vulnerable when it's cold." He mused, sitting up and focusing on the defences around his mind. Drawing on his imagination, he rearranged the outline of his mind, reimagining his magic as a vast ocean, limitless and bottomless in its majority. With a twist, he covered it over with land and trees, allowing it to seep through like rivers and lakes in his mindscape, never hinting at the true depth which lay beneath the surface, yet giving the impression that it was only a small reservoir available. Recreating the clearing once more, he smiled as he felt the presence of Sinister back off as if confused by the changes. Creating a temporary barrier, Harry used the flame of Nimue's wings as a template, allowing him more time to think up more defences.

*The changes you are making are interesting little one, however, this type of mindscape will not allow you to add things like man-made traps into it. You are too closely tied with nature and the natural magics of the earth for machinery to have a place within you. Remember this when you continue on.* Nimue trilled, filling Harry in on the more detailed changes to his magic without actually telling him why it was happening.

*_Nimue and I are going to patrol, keep a weather eye out young one, and work on your defencesss. We will only be a call away if you need usss.*_ Mordred informed him, carefully laying Harry down on a soft patch of grass before their presences moved further away into the depths of the newly created world around them.

Thinking hard about the information Nimue had given him, Harry set about changing the atmosphere of the world, making it so it was impossible for anyone uninvited to move around or breathe properly. Layering this atmosphere like ozone around his world, Harry intermingled it with the flames when he felt a stabbing pain almost wrench him from his concentration, the pull rippling outward from him through the landscape, alerting Mordred and Nimue to his plight.

*Harry! What is it little one?* Nimue cried from above him, and Harry gasped raggedly before trying to access where the source of his discomfort was coming from.

"They made good on their threat to remove my voice." Harry informed Nimue, attempting to block off the phantom pains for at least a little while. He was distracted from this by a floating presence that brushed against his 'ozone' layer that felt different from Dr Sinister. Carefully enveloping the presence, he drew it to him, making sure his mindscape was primed for attack if it was a threat he was welcoming in. However, he was surprised to discover that he had drawn a strange, humanoid mass of energy-riddled fog towards him. Slowly, the fog stabilised and transformed into Remy.

" 'arry? _Mon petit _where 'ave we ended up? Remy don' t'ink mutual 'allucinat'on is on de list o' Dr Sinist'r's serum." Remy mumbled, and Harry realised that Remy's formidable defences provided by his mutation must have been disrupted by whatever was coursing through his system. Sensing a part of himself inside Remy, Harry frowned.

"Did Sinister give you something made with my blood?" He asked urgently, knowing that the likelihood that Remy would survive without his help was low if he had been injected with that substance.

" 'e did, b't don' ya w'rry 'bout Remy, 'e made o' str'ng stuff. Ain't gonna let ya down _cher_." Remy waved him off with a shaky hand, his body seeming to waiver in the air like Harry was viewing him through heat waves.

"Let me have a look Remy, it can't hurt." Harry insisted, grabbing a hold of Remy's hand and focusing intently on his presence within it, focusing on drawing it out, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the serum registered Remy as a threat and turned him into an unresponsive, drooling mess in the real world. Remy would be trapped within his own mind as the Basilisk Venom in Harry's blood, despite being extremely diluted, would tear his body apart at a molecular level. Grabbing a hold of the thin presence infecting Remy, Harry drew it out, noting how it curled almost lovingly over Harry's hand. As it popped free of Remy's body, the whisp took shape, turning into a snake that looked suspiciously like a Diamondback Rattlesnake. Setting the young snakeling down on the grass, Harry ushered it off into the foliage, knowing that he was going to have to create the right sort of environment for it to survive.

Turning back to Remy, he found him staring at him intently, before a look of surprise swept across his face.

"Is dere any way Remy c'n communicate wit' de outside w'rld in 'ere?" He asked and Harry shrugged, cautiously allowing Remy to stretch his senses beyond Harry's protective atmosphere.

" 'ello? 'ello?" Remy called out, pausing a moment when he located the right presence he wanted to communicate with.

"Remy? Are you well! How are you communicating with me?" The stunned voice of a woman Harry did not know echoed through Harry's inner world, slightly warped because of the filtering quality of Harry's defense. Leaving Remy to communicate with the woman in peace, Harry explored the local features of his mind and found a basking rock which he settled onto gratefully. Resting peacefully, he hoped Remy would be finished soon. He wanted to create more defences, and he didn't want to change too much with someone he liked within his shields.

* * *

><p>"Keep yer voice down <em>cher<em>, ya shoutin' at Remy ain't gonna impress de natives." Remy murmured, hoping that Jean took the hint that her volume wasn't doing them any favours.

"Sorry Remy, I'm going to try and reach out to the Professor so he can get a fix on your psychic waves, hopefully we can triangulate your position using them." Jean apologised, a slight static waves retorting at Remy when he realised she had done something similar to opening a conference call, using her mind as the phone lines.

"Just a moment Remy, we will have your position soon." The soothing voice of Xavier echoed down into Remy's, and he felt some of the tension that had been building since he was captured dissipate at the knowledge it wouldn't be long until help was on its way.

"Alright, Cerebro has a lock on your psychic waves, Remy just wait for the-" Whatever else Professor Xavier was going to say was cut off as Remy felt himself being pulled from Harry's mind and into consciousness. Cursing violently all the way into the light, Remy woke suddenly and attempted to lash out at those around him. The lasting sting in his arm announcing the fact they had used some sort of anti-serum to wake him up.

"Now, now, language Mr LeBeau." Sinister murmured, looking into Remy's eyes as if he was trying to see into his soul. However, now that the effect of the serum was taken by Harry, Remy's mind was safe behind his usual defence of electrified fog.

"Engl'sh, Mr Essex, or v'ry occasi'n'ly French." Remy replied, trying to clear the cottony taste from his mouth that announced he was thirsty.

"Well it seems as though we have your sense of humour intact." Sinister replied, the annoyance in his tone making Remy grin drunkenly. Orderlies bustled around him, untying him from the restraints and Remy found himself being manhandled back towards his cell post-haste.

"_Au revoir._" He called over his shoulder, letting his head loll on his neck while he assessed the damage done to his body by the serum.

* * *

><p><strong>Xavier's School for Gifter Youngsters<strong>

"Damnit!" Jean slammed her hands down onto the desk infront of her violently, and Scott shot her a concerned look while Logan chewed contemplatively at his cigar.

"What's wrong Jean?" Scott asked worriedly, knowing that it wouldn't be good news.

"We, the Professor and I, heard from Remy, he was having an out-of-body experience and could communicate with us telepathically. However it was obvious he was unconscious when it happened, because just as Cerebro latched onto his psychic waves, they vanished, as though he was woken up forcefully." She explained, dragging a hand through her hair in frustration, looking up sharply when the door out of the room banged loudly. Looking around, she found Scott looking at the spot Logan had occupied only moments before.

* * *

><p>"Chuck! Chuck! Wake up." Logan shook the Professor into awareness, knowing that time was of the essence when operations like this were concerned.<p>

"Cerebro was able to locate Sinister's position Logan. Gather the X-Men, we are going to the Himilayas."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, I know it took a while for chapter seven to come out, but I believed it to be worth the wait, and I think you will all be happy with this chapter as well. Thank you to all of those who wished me happy birthday, it was much appreciated. I was well amazed when I saw I had 104 reviews for this story, it blew my mind. I'm happy so many people like it, and I hope you all continue to enjoy it whether you review it or not XD ON WITH THE STORY NOW!**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD  
><strong>

**WordCount: 5219**

**Chapter Eight: Flight**

* * *

><p><strong>The Burrow<strong>

It didn't take the twins as long as they thought it would to convince their mother to let them go to Gringotts. Apparently, it was just enough that they were taking an interest in something other than causing mayhem for everyone else; she was practically begging them to go.

"While you're there, why don't you open a vault and put some of your savings into it? You don't want to tempt the others by leaving it lying around like you do." She said, ushering them towards the fireplace. It was a standing assumption in the house that if you didn't take care of your money well enough yourself, then if it went missing no-one would be surprised and you only had yourself to blame.

However, the twins had long ago set up a system for hiding their pocket money that no-one else knew. It involved the careful placement of a false back in one of their desk drawers, the use of an undetectable expansion charm and a notice-me-not charm. It had worked well enough that no-one had even noticed they hardly spent a knut of their money on trips out.

"Nah, we think we'll just leave it there to germinate for a while." They answered in unison and laughed at the surprised look she gave them. Stepping up to the fireplace they halted briefly and turned back to her to hear the last piece of the conversation.

"Alright, if you're sure about your decision, just don't forget to make it completely safe." She mumbled, looking between them suspiciously, and George gave her their customary innocent look while Fred hid the cloak within a magically expanded pocket of his robes. Then, a slow grin spreading across their faces in tandem, they both threw a pinch of Floo powder into the grate and stepped forward.

"Gringotts, Diagon Alley."

* * *

><p>With a seldom seen grace, both teens stepped from the communal Floo, soot sifting from their robes as they moved across the marble floors towards the banks of goblin tellers that lined the chamber. Even here, they moved to create an irritation that was hardly seen in the creatures that manned the bank. Stopping before one particularly grim looking goblin, they waited patiently for the creature to finish the transaction it was working on. Sneaking a furtive glance at each other, they jingled the galleons in their pockets ever so slightly and sighed deeply, as though they were deeply bored with the whole affair.<p>

"How can I be of service?" The goblin growled, the habitual sneer creasing it's mouth into an intimidating line as it glared at the trail of soot that had been tracked to it's pristine workspace. Looking at each other, the twins smirked and turned back to the goblin.

"We require the goblin known as Griphook." They said enjoying the rather stunned look on the goblin's face as it realised that these humans were associated with the Potter vaults. After all, no-one other than the Boy-Who-Lived asked for Griphook, it had been that way ever since Griphook had taken the young Lord to his vault during his first trip to Diagon Alley.

"Right this way Messrs Weasley, allow me to show you to the private offices." The goblin signalled to the guards at the door that the twins were not to be disturbed, and ushered them through some hidden doors behind his desk. Looking around them in awe as they experienced what it was like to be given the preferential treatment, the twins grinned at each other as they were shown into a large room at the end of a dimly lit hall. Sitting before another desk, they waited for Griphook to show himself. The sound of hurried footsteps alerted them to the arrival of the goblin, and they smiled widely as the short creature came into view behind them.

"Ah... Fred and George Weasley, if I'm not mistaken." The goblin mused, sitting at his desk as he observed the two people that Lord Potter had placed his trust in. When Harry had gotten in touch with the bank recently, they had looked into his parents' Will, and finding that the terms set out had been breached, allowed him to apply for emancipation.  
>Harry had been stunned to find out that the 'small' vault he had been to was in fact only a trust vault and the rest of the Potter fortune was waiting for him to claim once he reached the age of majority. A short ritual later and Harry had been Lord Harry James Potter, of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, and Heir Apparent to the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Noting the wording in his parents' Will, Harry had enquired about the nature of a Fidelius Charm and had set the ball rolling in regard to his Godfather. Making sure that no-one could touch any of the accumulated wealth in his vaults without permission was the next logical step in regards to his new status, and Harry made sure that only he had the full access to the vaults while the twins had access to any funding they needed. He then gave the title of Account Manager to the only goblin he had any dealings with; Griphook.<p>

"What can I do for you today, Friends and Most Trusted of Lord Potter?" He asked and smirked in a predatory way when the twins looked shocked at the title he had given both them and Harry.

"Well for one you could explain the title." Fred said, confusion furrowing his eyebrows. Surely Harry wouldn't have given access only to them.

"Lord Potter has stated both the trustworthiness of yourselves, and your apparent disregard for authority has endeared you to him enough that he felt you were among those that truly deserved his trust." Griphook explained and withdrew two small silver keys and two larger gold keys from a drawer beneath the desk.

"These keys are for both the vaults Lord Potter has opened on your account and the access keys for the Potter vaults. The silver keys are for your vault, the gold for the Potter's." He said pushing them across the desk at them with one long finger, leaning back and linking his fingers beneath his chin as he observed the twins hurriedly sweep the keys off the desk, examining them closely.

"Must remember to thank Harry for these, when we see him." George muttered to his brother as they both contemplated how they were going to keep these keys safely away from the rest of their family. They knew it was selfish to want to keep their good fortune to themselves, yet they couldn't help wanting to keep Harry's apparent wealth secret, especially when everyone found out he was a Lord at such a 'young' age.

"If I may suggest an option for the safe-keeping of your keys, Messrs Weasley, I can arrange for some lockets for you. They come with a standard security spell that can be upgraded if you wish." Griphook offered after watching them fiddle with them for a while.

"Thank you Griphook, it would be most appreciated." They both stated their grin of gratitude nearly splitting their faces. Nodding slightly, Griphook wrote a note into a ledger next to the blotter on his desk, and a small pop alerted those in the room to the arrival of the requested items. Holding out the two lockets, he waited for them to accept them. Studying the designs on the surface of the lockets, the twins found that one side of the locket was engraved with the image of a large snake reminiscent of a Basilisk, while the other was engraved with the form of a Phoenix. Opening the lockets in tandem, they winced as a strategically placed spike pierced their thumbs and the lockets glowed with a soft white light.

"Now only you can open, or remove the lockets from your person. It's helpful when preventing people from attempting to steal from you." Griphook commented as the twins found an impression of a key on each side of the inside of the locket. They fitted the keys into place and grinned when they stayed in the fitting. Closing them, they looked to Griphook.

"Now that that matter of business is done with, what else can I help you with today? I assume you did not come here for this as from the looks on your faces when you heard the news, you could not have known." He stated and immediately the twins straightened and a serious look fixed itself on their faces.

"We would like to procure a Portkey to 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey." They announced, and Griphook grinned in response, the expression one that would have intimidated a lesser man.

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in the Himalayas<strong>

While Remy had regained consciousness briefly and now slept normally, Harry was still deep within the drug and stress induced coma that kept him unresponsive. Remy had been returned to the cell when he had resurfaced from his unconsciousness, but Harry had been kept in observation in the lab. Now, waking abruptly from his sleep, Remy growled when he noticed his companion was missing from the cell across the hall. Staggering to his feet, he realised that apart from a slight lingering stiffness in his muscles, he didn't seem to be affected by the serum Dr Sinister had injected him with. Making his way to the door of his cell, Remy focused on his powers, determined to at least make an attempt to escape. He wasn't sure how much of what he remembered was true and how much was hallucinations, but he had to try to get to Harry.  
>It was difficult for him at first, but eventually he managed to summon enough of his power to melt the mechanisms in his door. Opening it slightly, he quickly sneaked a look along the hall towards where he knew the guards were standing. Luckily, they were facing the other way and he was able to head the other way, praying that he would be able to find another route to the labs without having to worry about alerting the guards to his presence just yet. Padding along yet another hallway, he flattened himself against a wall when he heard the clamour of a unit of guards heading to his position. Waiting for the right moment, he attacked, the element of surprise allowing him to eliminate the threat of four of the guards before the other four that were left grouped together to combat him. Ducking and weaving around them, he jabbed at pressure points and deftly deflected most of the blows aimed his way, turning his body to lessen the impact of the attacks that were able to get past his defence. Standing motionless as the last of the guards fell to the floor, Remy was startled from his reverie by a shrill alarm sounding throughout the hallway.<br>Knowing that it was to alert the rest of the guards and possibly Sabertooth, Remy hurried onwards. Finally spotting a landmark he recognised, he took a sharp left that would take him to the laboratory that Harry was hopefully being held in.

"Where do ya think yer goin' Swamp Rat?" The rough voice of Victor Creed left Remy cursing silently. With his powers out of whack and the stiffness in his body, he knew he was in no state to be fighting Sabertooth.

"Gambit jus' takin' a stroll _Chat_, breathin' de air an' such." He hedged and knew from the narrowing of the larger man's eyes that his excuses were just intriguing the feral side even more than his apparent escape.

"Yer in the wrong place ta be strollin' Swamp Rat." Creed growled out, his eyes taking on a golden sheen that Remy knew well. Cursing more profusely under his breath at the predatory gleam, Remy shifted into a defensive stance that he knew could not last.

"An' here I was hopin' yer'd run away, although I do like it when they put up a fight." He rumbled, advancing on Remy.

* * *

><p>Deep within Harry's unconscious mind, he noted the battle between Sabertooth and Remy with interest. However, the largely still unprotected state of his mind distracted him from attempting to interfere, even though he knew it would be practically impossible to help or hinder the fight.<p>

*It won't be long now young one.* Nimue trilled, balancing carefully in the branches of a nearby tree as Harry worked. Nodding his head in acknowledgement of the statement, Harry knew that he had a mere matter of minutes before his birthday was upon him and was attempting to prepare for that fact.

_*It will bring sssome change for you young one. Although not asss much asss it will for your sssixteenth birthday.*_ Mordred hissed to him and Harry sighed as he relaxed back against a rock, letting the warmth of the imagined sun heat his body.

"I'm as prepared as I can be for this." Harry announced, his voice seemingly tranquil, but both his companions could hear the slight twinge of fear deep within it. Remaining silent, they kept him company as the minutes counted down.

* * *

><p>Smirking down at the motionless form of the young teen before him, Dr Sinister loaded a syringe with a vial full of another serum he hadn't told Remy about, one that had been produced from Remy's blood. Tapping the bubbles from the needle, he carefully inserted it into the elbow of Harry's left arm and pushed the plunger down, noting the reaction of Harry's body in response to the serum. The area around the injection site was a mass of veins that showed a deep blue, tracking away from the site like worms beneath the skin. The speed of the reaction intrigued Sinister, and he turned to focus the camera he had been using to record the experiment on the site, tracking the spread of the serum through Harry's arm by noting how his veins were becoming visible.<br>A low exhalation of air that would have been a moan of pain was the closest thing to a reaction Sinister had gotten from Harry since the removal of his larynx. Chuckling, Sinister sat back and observed as the serum reached Harry's shoulder, it would only be a matter of seconds until it would reach his heart. He estimated it would be approximately midnight when the serum would be pumped from his heart through to the rest of his system. In fact it would be any second now, glancing at the clock, he started a countdown for the benefit of the camera.

" 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3…"

* * *

><p>Stumbling from a particularly brutal hit, Remy felt a phantom whisper shudder through his body just before a shockwave seemed to sweep through the facility, the lights flickering and going out, plunging the place into darkness.<p>

' 'arry, w'at is 'e doin' ta ya _ma petit_.' He thought briefly before he was knocked flying and his head slammed into the wall, light exploding behind his eyelids at a surprising rate before he sped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>A blinding light emitted from Harry the exact time that the serum reached his heart. The other lights in the room, and the electronics spluttered and failed at the same time, the sound of malfunctioning machinery making Dr Sinister growl in annoyance. When the light had finally abated enough for him to look back to the gurney he made his way back to his experiment. Examining Harry's arm, he was disappointed to see the veins receding back to their normal state. Spotting something shimmering on Harry's ribs towards his back, Sinister removed his restraints long enough to roll him onto his side, being careful enough not to damage the fresh wound in his neck, or disturb the bandage around his eyes.<br>What met his eyes was surprising to say the least. Where there used to be scar-riddled skin lay a shimmering iridescent image of a fantastical bird, it's wings outspread in defiance, it's head looking forward towards the viewer. The bird itself, was perched on the head of the deadliest snake Sinister had ever seen, it's great body coiled across the back of Harry's hips, it's mouth open to display what looked like a mouthful of fangs. The whole image stretched from the wings of the bird which brushed Harry's shoulders to the snake's tail which was tucked underneath its body at Harry's tailbone. The entire image had appeared within the few seconds that Sinister had been looking away because of the light, and he was interested in what it was composed of.  
>Turning to the tray that held his surgical instruments, he was surprised to see a soft glow surrounding Harry's eyes and his throat. Deftly removing the bandages around his throat, Sinister observed the sutures holding the wound closed popping off as though they were never anchored within the skin at all. The skin flowed together like water, a faint iridescent series of lines forming across the site where the wound used to be. In what seemed like minutes, but was in fact seconds, the wound had disappeared, and the only trace that it had been there was a series of lines that looked like they were a strange hybrid of feathers and scales.<br>Snarling, Sinister grabbed a scalpel from his tray, but instead of attempting to reopen the wound, he lowered it to the image on Harry's back, but for every cut he made, it healed behind the scalpel, before the blood had even a remote chance of welling up. Cursing at the futile actions he was now performing, he picked up the syringe he had discarded and reinserted it into Harry's arm, pleased to note that his skin wasn't repelling the intrusion. Pulling the plunger out again, he grinned at the glistening blood he had withdrawn. Holding the syringe up to the light, he frowned thoughtfully as he observed a faint reflective quality to the blood which had clung to the walls of the syringe's chamber.  
>Suddenly with a hiss similar to acid eating through metal the syringe melted; the liquid spilling across the floor and drawing a similar reaction from the linoleum. Cursing violently, Sinister ripped the gloves from his hands before the blood could eat through the fabric, backing away from the hole that was rapidly forming where the fluid had ended up.<p>

"Get in here and move the subject back to his cell, make sure that both he and Mr LeBeau are secure. I have some more brainstorming to do." He ordered the hapless orderlies at the door, sweeping past and barely sparing them a backwards glance as they rushed to do as he bid.

* * *

><p>The pain that had swept through him accompanying his birthday had startled Harry out of his reverie, and he gasped his surprise. Then a tingle had swept through him from the tips of his hair to the ends of his toes and he began to feel better than he had in a while. A sharper tingling erupted around his throat and eyes, and he felt the strange sensation of flesh knitting together and sweeping into existence and welcomed it with open arms. Humming his relief, he removed the bandages from around his eyes and stared out at the world he was creating in his mind, laughing at some of the colours that had appeared. Several of the trees around him were odd colours that would never appear in nature. There were trees with silver bark and purple leaves, and odd little moss plants with eye-balls at the ends of their fronds that seemed to follow him wherever he moved. Grinning at the developments he turned to the other inhabitants who were watching him closely.<p>

_*It isss good to sssee you looking ssso happy Harry. Too long have you been pained and tormented by thossse around you.*_ Mordred hissed to him, if snakes were capable of smiling, he would have been now, but instead he settled for a low rumbling hiss that resembled a cat's purr. Noting the thin trail of darkness that seemed out of place within his mind, Harry stood awkwardly and moved forward, grasping the end of it and tugging it towards him. Growling at the interfering nature of the handful of black smog that had invaded his mind, he twisted it's nature and its form morphed and changed into a large black cobra. Examining the lithe form of the snake, Harry was pleased to see that the cobra was one that could spit it's venom with amazing accuracy. Lowering the newly formed creature to the ground, Harry padded back over to Mordred and Nimue, reclining gratefully against Mordred's side.

*Indeed, I am glad to see the damage being healed young one. Although, it will still take a while for you to be able to use your voice again. Despite the damage being healed, it may cause you phantom pains occasionally while your magic attempts to right any longer lasting damage.* Nimue crooned, and Harry tilted he head curiously.

"Do you mind explaining that better? I'm not entirely sure what that means." He said, running his fingers nimbly over Mordred's scales to find the spot that caused the large snake to jut his jaw out, like a cat wanting to be petted.

*What I meant was all the deep wounds that require major healing will take longer to do. While they may look completely healed on the outside, you magic may take longer to condition the newly regrown tissue so it will be able to keep up with the strain of regular use. However, for places such as your eyes, which usually heal the quickest out of any body part, the healing will be similar to instantaneous, unless it requires the complete regrowth of the eyeball itself.* She explained, hopping down from the branch she had been perched on to sit on Mordred, offering her head to be stroked with his other hand.

"That certainly made more sense than whatever it was you said before." He said with a yawn, and both animals chuckled softly, watching with indulgent eyes as he curled up and began to sleep, the stress being put on his body and his magical core sending him deep into a healing slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>Above the European Continent, moving towards the Himalayas<strong>

Those within the Blackbird were a bundle of jittery nerves. The shockwave that had struck over the Caspian Sea had caused a three second blackout that had seen them lose a thousand feet of altitude before both Storm and Jean had used their powers to stabilize the aircraft. When the power had come back on, they were shocked to hear that it had been more widespread than they first thought. The shockwave had spread right around the globe in three seconds, and for those three seconds, nothing electronic had been left untouched. With a new sense of determination, both Professor Xavier and Jean had combined their senses to try and locate the source of the disturbance.

"Try not to search so aggressively Jean," the Professor admonished, "if it was a mutant who sent out that shockwave they might not react kindly to someone forcing their way into their mind."  
>Hearing that, Logan snorted in amusement. Trust Jean not to think about the way another mutant would react to something that was akin to mind-rape. Reclining against the hard leather of the seats he closed his eyes, one day someone was going to take exception to her meddling and put her in her place, he just hoped he was there to see the look on her face. A short beep alerted the rest of the team to the fact that they were less than ten minutes away from the targeted location, and Logan felt a spreading anticipation for the fight that was bound to erupt once they arrived. Clamping a cigar firmly between his teeth, he steeled himself to stand, he never could get used to flying this high above the ground.<p>

"T-Minus ten seconds till arrival. X-Men, prepare yourselves." Storm's voice echoed over the intercom, and Logan cursed as his ears were assaulted by the feedback from the speakers. Grumbling through his cigar, he stood stoically beside Scott and Jean, knowing that the chance of them encountering trouble was high, especially with the unnatural interest Sinister had been showing in mutants with unique mutations.

"Alright, let's get in and out with as little casualties as possible. We need to get Remy out of there as quickly as possible."

* * *

><p><strong>Inside the Facility<strong>

To say Remy was startled when he woke was an understatement. He was back in his cell, although now that he looked at it properly, the locking system on the door was vastly different. Sighing he checked the wounds he had received, and mulled over the strange blackout that had occurred. Stretching his body carefully, he rolled upright and shuffled over to the door, looking out at Harry's cell, yet not expecting him to be back yet. When he spotted his companion, Remy felt a wave of relief sweep through him.

" 'arry, c'n ya 'ear Remy _mon petit?_" He called out, a frown quickly spreading across his face when Harry's body failed to even twitch in response to his call. Noting the even breathing, he came to the conclusion that Harry was sleeping off the effects of whatever Sinister had submitted him to. Slamming his fist into the door frame, he twitched when another alarm went off within the facility.

"All units to guard Corridor A-1, protect the experiments within with your lives." Came the order, and Remy knew that part of his hallucinations had to have been true, because the only reason Sinister would send all of his guards to protect him and Harry would be the X-Men arriving. Relief swept through his body, nearly buckling his legs and he quickly snapped out of his state, the sound of heavily booted feet making him twitch in annoyance. Stepping away from the door, he sat down on his cot and focused on his mind, dipping deeper into it than he had ever tried to before.

* * *

><p>A faint buzzing noise emitting from nearby caused Harry to wake in his mindscape. Looking around blearily. Spotting his newly made cobra close by, he urged it to come to him.<p>

"_What is it small one?_" He asked quietly in Parseltongue, cradling the lithe form to him and rubbing the snake along the ridges above it's eyes.

~_The one who's eyes are the night-sky is attempting to contact those who are invading the foreign nest.~_ The snake replied softly, and Harry mused over the meaning of the words before nodding.

"Remy must be attempting to contact the X-Men to tell them where we are. However, I don't think that he has ever willingly ventured beyond the confines of his mind." Harry contemplated out loud, running the tips of his fingers along the length of the snake in his arms. Relaxing, he extended his awareness focusing on trying to find the electrical presence he had sensed before. Locating the wandering spirit, Harry hung back slightly, allowing Remy the freedom to explore his mind and locate the people he wished to talk to. Noticing a roiling cloud that emanated malicious intent, Harry moved quickly to create an unobtrusive shield around Remy that would protect him while keeping him unaware of the fortification of his own shields. Just in time, Harry finished enclosing Remy's mind as the cloud struck, slamming into the extra shields with a surprising force. Gritting his teeth, Harry felt his shields stutter then hold and he urged Remy on silently, hoping he found whoever was searching for them quickly.

* * *

><p>*Jean, c'n ya 'ear Remy <em>cher<em>?* Remy called out, wanting to get out of here quickly, sensing yet not quite understanding the danger he was in by communicating this way. Waiting impatiently, he nearly swore as suddenly his mind was flooded by Jean's voice.

*Alright Remy, tell me where you are.* She called, and Remy winced at the amplified tone of her voice within her head, cracking his eyes open to spot Harry convulsing slightly on the cot opposite him.

*We're in Corrid'r A-1 _cher_, be careful, all de guard un'ts are stationed 'ere.* He cautioned her and felt the message being relayed to the rest of the team. Feeling the tension sweep through his body he sent the feeling of urgency he felt when he looked at Harry.

*Remy? Are you feeling okay? Do you need medical attention?* She questioned him, and he felt an unnatural surge of irritation swell within him.

*Jus' g't 'ere as quick as ya c'n _cher._* He muttered, pulling away from her presence in his mind and retreating back behind the thick fog that comprised the shields around his mind. Opening his eyes again, Remy looked over at Harry in concern and was relieved when he saw the convulsions had stopped.

"N't much long'r _mon petit_." He whispered, and almost immediately, he heard the sounds of panicked cries and bodies hitting the floor, occasionally accompanied by the splatter of something visceral.

'O' course dey brought Wolvie wit' dem, dey would'a been silly n't ta.' He mused relaxing in the knowledge that he would soon be out of this hell hole with Harry and they would be able to breathe fresh air once more.

"Oi, Gumbo! Now ain't the time ta be snoozing. I'm gettin' ya out of here." Logan growled, quickly locating the scent of Remy, ignoring the slightly spicy, foreign scent that seemed to permeate the rest of the hall. Unsheathing his claws, he sliced through the door, reaching in and hauling Remy upright with little trouble, supporting his shaking frame by slinging one of his arms around his shoulder.

"C'mon, let's blow this joint." He grumbled, turning and leading the injured man away from the corridor he had be captive in. However his progress was halted when Remy protested.

"Ya c'n't leave _mon petit_ Wolvie, 'e be in a b'd way. Need ta br'ng 'im wit' us." Remy murmured, indicating the cell across from his previous one. Leaning against the wall when Logan backtracked, Remy watched enviously as he sliced through the lock easily. Logan disappeared inside for a while, then remerged quickly with Harry leant against his chest, one arm holding him close as Logan navigated the hall back to Remy.

"Alright, this time we're outta here." He grumbled, grabbing Remy and directing him out the doors at the end of the hall, letting him be supported by Scott while Jean quickly dispatched the back-up guards. Making their way to the rest of the group, the rest escape passed in a blur for Remy, who felt exhausted from the stress of the situation.

Finding himself firmly ensconced in the Blackbird, he made his way towards Harry's motionless form and barely noticed as the jet took off, the murmuring of the team around him taking a poor second to watching Harry just breathe. Pulling a blanket over the thin body of his friend, he finally succumbed to the darkness waiting on the edges of his vision when he heard Storm advise the others to get some sleep as the trip back would seem longer than the trip there.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, it took me a while, but here it is.  
>Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD<strong>

**Words: 2697**

**Chapter Nine: The Mansion**

The flight back to the mansion was over before it had even begun for most of the people within the confines of the Blackbird. Most had been too focused on keeping Remy and his mysterious friend in an elevated state of health. The shift from jet to med-lab could be the thing that sent their health plummeting and this thought occupied the minds of many. As Storm set the jet down in the hanger, Jean was already floating the stretchers from their places and was waiting by the doors with their precious cargo. As the ramp lowered, the X-Men were swamped with the questions of the students who had been alerted by the monitor within the mansion of their arrival.

"Are they alright?" "What happened?" "Do we need to be prepared for retaliation?" The questions came hard and fast, but a low growl from Logan seemed to startle them enough that Jean was able to transport both stretchers into the elevator without trouble. Pressing the correct button, she sighed in relief as the machine brought them closer to the cool security of the lower floors.

The doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss and Jean hurried to place the stretchers on top of the beds, bustling about and gathering the required materials from around the lab before heading back towards the main office.

"Don't examine the boy until Remy has woken." Logan cautioned as Jean headed towards the still bandaged boy.

"Why not? He is the one with the most bandaging, and most of them are around places that need careful medical observation to heal." She reasoned, and Logan snorted before turning towards Xavier, raising an eyebrow in a gesture that plainly said, 'you explain'.

"The boy is an unknown factor Jean. If you examine him while he is still unconscious, his powers may see you as a danger similar to those who experimented on him during his captivity." The Professor explained and she sighed as the logic in the words registered. Turning back to look down at the seemingly innocent boy on her stretcher, she sighed.

"So, how am I going to examine him? I could cause his death by waiting for him to wake up enough to give the all clear." She huffed, and the Professor shook his head slightly.

"Wait for Remy to wake, as Logan said. If Remy has been able to keep the boy safe within the facility, then the boy will automatically trust him more within the circumstances." Xavier murmured, casting a critical eye over the immobile forms on the beds before him.

"Alright. I'll look at Remy first then." She said, clearly dismissing them as she turned to accept the latex gloves that had floated towards her from the box. Slipping them on, she turned towards Remy and began her examination.

Watching her work, Logan chewed on the end of his cigar as he thought back over the reaction Remy had shown when they had almost left the younger man behind. It was obvious to him that the small being had somehow wormed his way into Remy's heart in the time they had been trapped together, yet he knew that Remy would not act on those feelings as of yet. The companionship they had developed would be a rock on which they could count on in the coming storm of idle teenage curiosity. Pulled from his musings by Jean's squawk of alarm, he pushed himself upright and headed over to the bed. Remy's unique eyes stared back at him in a dazed manner that was quickly clearing. Obviously the short rest that Remy had snatched on the trip from Sinister's compound had done enough for him that he had managed to regain consciousness quickly. Quickly moving to Remy's side, Logan helped him sit up noting the apparent stiffness in Remy's neck and arms. Muttering under his breath, he gave Remy an awkward pat on the back when it became obvious that he could sit up without any further assistance.

"Ya cert'inly 'ave a 'andle on t'ings 'ere Wolvie." Remy chuckled, wheezing slightly as his body registered the change in orientation. Hanging his head forward to allow himself to regain his sense of balance, Remy gazed around the room, his eyes lighting up when they landed on the still immobile form of Harry.

"Remy c'n't beli've ya were goin' ta leave 'im in dat place." He muttered to Logan, slowly pulling himself back to his feet.

"We weren't going to risk ya dying because o' some weird experiment when ya were just there for reconnaissance." Logan justified gruffly, watching Remy register Jean's presence, the other man's body giving a start that would have been amusing in another, less serious situation.

"Tell Gambit, dat ya 'elped de ot'ers in dat place." Remy accused, narrowing his eyes at the still forms of the others; wondering just what about his statement had caused them to freeze up.

"Gumbo… there _wasn't_ another mutant in that place apart from ya an' Harry." Logan informed him, and Remy stiffened further. Logan hastened to explain. "We had called in the back up when we found ya, informing them they had to perform the sweep, make sure we weren't leaving anyone behind. Harry would have been picked up."  
>Remy relaxed slightly, standing from the bed in a manner similar to an old man, his back popping as he straightened, causing him to release a sigh of relief.<p>

Jean, who had previously been working quietly in the background on Harry, had reached forward towards the bandages covering his eyes. However, before her fingers touched the roughened fabric, a hand grabbed her wrist, startling a small shriek out of her.

Spinning around to try and spot whatever was attacking Jean, both Logan and Remy ended up nearly doubled over laughing as they spotted her firmly trapped in the steely grip of Harry's still unconscious body. Moving swiftly forward, Logan's attempt at loosening Harry's grip resulted in a lightening quick transfer, his arm becoming trapped instead. Seeing the problem, Remy started forward, gently whispering to Harry of comfort and safety. Eventually the muscles loosened and Harry's hand slipped from Logan's wrist and fell back to the bed, no sign of the previous life visible.

"It would be best if ya waited for 'arry to wake up o' 'is own accord. 'e's got little trust in others, Gambit only managed to crack dat shell by sharing de same corridor as 'im." Remy explained, smoothing Harry's tousled hair from his forehead, being careful not to put any pressure near the bandages.  
>When Logan was the only one to nod in agreement, he stared at Jean with cold eyes until she fidgeted and snapped at him.<p>

"I am a Doctor first and foremost, Gambit. I need to know what's wrong with him to be able to prescribe the best form of therapy for him." She defended crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight from one foot to another.

"Wait until 'e 'as awakened, _mon Cherie_. 'E won't be goin' anyw'ere." Remy reiterated, motioning for them to precede him as they walked towards the elevator towards the higher levels. Scoffing at him, Jean stalked into the elevator, tapping her foot almost unconsciously when Logan took his time to amble into the confines of the machine.

"Acting like a brat isn't going to help bring Harry back to consciousness any sooner Jean." Logan rumbled, knowing that her attitude was scraping against Remy's already frayed nerves.

* * *

><p>The mist swirled around him in intricate, yet random patterns, letting Harry investigate the recesses of his mind in an attempt to figure out exactly what was prickling his instincts within his mind. Sighing deeply, he gently opened his senses to the landscape around him, trying to divine what the problem was. A vague miasma of oily feeling hate alerted him to the presence of a structure that felt as well as looked out of place within his mind. Narrowing his eyes at the massive statue of a chained beast, Harry grasped on of the links within his hands, hissing as the feeling spread onto him. Peeling the intruder of his arm like a glove, he grinned at the statue before yanking it with him as he emerged from his mindscape.<p>

Light filtered through the bandages, the soft glow attacking his sensitive eyes before he felt the skin around them shift. Growling at the irritating sensation, Harry shifted, delighted to find his hands were unbound. Bringing one of his hands up to the bandages, he cautiously prodded the edge of it, slipping a finger underneath as he sat up. The new space between the bandage and his eyes relieved the pressure on his skin and he felt the almost forgotten sensation of eyelids closing, enveloping his eyes in a soothing moisture and shielding them from the light. Sighing he smiled softly, removing his finger from the bandage on his face and slowly investigating the bandage around his throat.

*It's going to take a while for that wound to heal Harry.* Nimue's voice cautioned, and he hesitated before dropping his hand to the bed beside him.

*Why isn't it healing as quick as my eyes?* He asked within his mind, not wanting to strain his throat by speaking before his time.

*_The magicsss that affected you during your birthday have worn off, and while you have a greater healing rate, your eyes were deemed more important to save by your magic.* _Mordred answered, and Harry pursed his lips in annoyance. The sound of an elevator returning to his floor had him lying back down quickly, not wanting to alert his new captors to his awakened status.

"Well 'e certainly don' want ya ta poke at 'im like 'e is some sorta exp'riment." Harry recognised Remy's distinctive accent even from a distance, and he was almost tempted to let him know that he was awake when he was blindsided by exhaustion that had been held at bay by adrenaline while he assessed his injuries.

* * *

><p>"Do you feel that?" Jean asked suddenly, whipping around to try a pin down the sudden chill that had crept up her spine. Ignoring the looks from Logan and Remy, she extended her telepathy to feel out the nuances of the room. Focusing on a point that seemed to waiver within her mind's eye, she contained it within a psychic net, reminding herself to take it to the Professor later.<br>Turning back to the men, she quirked her eyebrow at them and motioned for them to continue walking towards Harry's bed.

"Are ya awake now _mon petit_?" Remy asked, not particularly surprised when a slight snore escaped Harry's lips. "Ah, Gambit t'ink 'e needed some more rest."

"That much is obvious Gumbo, he seems to have shifted around a bit. Maybe he woke up and decided he was safe enough to continue resting." Logan supplied leaning back against the wall opposite the foot of Harry's bed.  
>Sighing at the missed opportunity, Jean pulled a clean shirt from a cupboard.<p>

"I think that it would be better for him to have a clean shirt on. Who knows what sort of bacteria are in the cloth of the one he is wearing now." She said to Remy, who shrugged and moved towards Harry, standing on the other side of the bed. Supporting Harry's head, he gently pulled him upright, making sure to disturb him as little as possible in the process. On the other side, Jean grasped the bottom of Harry's shirt and lifted it, working it slowly off his limbs. The pale expanse of Harry's chest came into view and Remy snorted when Jean looked vaguely uncomfortable as she bunched the clean shirt in her hands to slide it on better. When she released a startled gasp however, he snapped to attention.

"That is the most intricate tattoo I have ever seen on someone before." She murmured, leaning further around Harry to get a better look at his back. Stunned by the image there, both she and Remy were silent before Harry's body shivered and a faint whine of disapproval emitted from the unconscious teen's throat. Prodded into action, they eased the shirt onto Harry and lowered him until he was resting again. Withdrawing from the vicinity of the bed, they glanced at each other before joining Logan again.

"It seem as t'ough _mon petit_ was 'iding some art from us." Remy commented, the amusement in his voice thick like syrup.

"Let's leave him to rest. I'll set the monitors to let us know when he is awake again." Jean said, gaining a nod of approval from Remy and an ambivalent shrug from Logan.

* * *

><p><strong>4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey<strong>

The sudden arrival of two completely similar, strangely dressed people would usually be a cause of concern amongst the inhabitants of Privet drive, but because of the near torrential downpour that had sent it's inhabitants scuttling into the confines of their homes; none of the street's occupants noticed they had some weird, unwelcome visitor. That is to say, no-one except Petunia and Vernon Dursley noticed.

"Pet! There's some one knocking at the door." Vernon bellowed, not bothering to drag his gaze from the flickering pictures on the television. The sound of explosions and gunfire alerted Petunia to what her little Duddykins was up to as she made her way through the house to the front door. Wiping her hands on the apron fastened around her waist, she prepared to open the door, hoping her guests wouldn't be expecting any refreshments. Ever since the Freak was taken away, she just hadn't been able to produce the baked goods she had become known for. After all, one could not bake something, if one did not have the skills (or slave-nephew) to do it. Opening the door, the words of greeting died upon her lips.

"GO AWAY! We don't want any of your kind around here!" She screeched, the volume startling Vernon from his place ensconced in his chair and motivating him to move through to the hallway to offer his wife the support of his intimidating bulk.  
>The freaks on his doorstep didn't even flinch when Petunia reacted to their presence, just grinned at each other and pulled out their wands, causing the Dursleys to pale and back away from them. Entering the house, they shut the door behind them and removed their hoods, revealing two identical faces that were screwed up in a grimace of disgust.<p>

"These vermin certainly don't have the manners of our young Brother, do they Gred?" One of them commented to the other, his tone of voice suggesting the people in front of him were on par with the lowest of insects.

"Indeed Brother dear, they seem to have even forgotten the fact that it is common courtesy to offer refreshments to guests, no matter how unwelcome they are." Fred replied, waving his wand at their cloaks and spelling them dry. Noticing how the two cowering before them were watching his movements with an almost obsessive gaze, he grinned at George and winked.

"Hocus pocus." He intoned, waving his wand and allowing his face to slip into a furious mask, the tip of his wand emitting silver sparks. A harmless enchantment, yet obviously it was effective, when both Dursleys let out squeaks of terror and fled to the lounge. Shrugging at one another, the Twins strolled into the lounge after the muggles, vaguely amused by their attempts to ward them off with whatever came to hand.

"You get rid of that freakishness you put on us boy! Or you will regret ever being spawned in the first place." Vernon threatened, and both red-heads laughed in delight.

"You would think that they would come up with some new material." George murmured, his eyebrows rising into his hairline when Petunia threw one of her prized vases at them. A quick _Protego_ and the china burst into a cloud of fragments around them.

"Now… enough playing around." They spoke at the same time, their words combining and creating an echo effect that sent cold shivers down the spines of those listening.

"Tell us where you have sent Harry."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Chapter 10 peoples! Hope you enjoy this one. Have decided on what I am going to do for the rewrite despite not having actually finishing the fanfic yet. But don't worry! It won't be heinously different.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K Rowling and Marvel Comics for the characters of Harry Potter and the X-men. Any OCs are mine XD**

**Wordcount: 3335**

**Chapter 10: Awakened**

**4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey**

The malicious grins that were mirrored perfectly on the two faces before them sent the older Dursleys into a fit of shivers. Not only were there freaks within their home, tainting the sanctity that had only just been cleansed of their freakish nephew, they had the nerve to be identical twins. The way they talked, and moved, and spoke, it was just unnatural and they would be damned before they allowed their darling son to come into contact with these devil twins.

"Come now, don't you think it is polite to answer our question about our darling adoptive brother… who just happens to be your nephew?" Fred asked his voice pitched at a dangerously low tone that rumbled forth from his chest. The Dursleys looked at each other before presenting a united front on the subject.

"That little freak isn't here anymore." Petunia spat out, as though she was expecting them to leave as soon as they heard that little fact. Unfortunately for her, the Twins were slightly more resilient than that. Seating themselves on the couch in front of Vernon and Petunia, they arranged themselves so the opposite legs were crossed; looking for all the world like someone had planted a mirror in between the cushions on the couch.

"We are quite aware of that small fact, you horse-faced twig. Now, we can ask this question again, with the added benefit of your son being brought downstairs to join in on the fun; or you could answer us truthfully. The choice, though it isn't much of one, is yours." George drawled, slouching against the upholstered arm as though he was merely passing time instead of threatening Muggles.

"He did his freaky thing again and froze Marge! After everything we did for him! We just returned the favour and sent him away to an institute where they can get rid of that freakishness that inhabits him." Vernon spat in reply, not wanting to further expose Dudley to any of the weirdness being exhibited by the boys in front of him. Despite the repercussions that were sure to come from their actions, he was sure that it had been one of his better ideas to sell the boy to that crazy Doctor.

"You do realise that Magic is a gift given by the Mother of All, and should be treated as such? No muggle would ever have the power to strip a wizard or witch of their magic." Fred informed them, struggling to withhold his anger for the mean time. It wouldn't do to alert the Ministry to their presence straight away; after all, the fun was only just beginning.

"This Doctor seemed to think that with enough study and experimentation, the freak's… power would be able to be isolated and eradicated. After all, his credentials said he has had many successes before." Petunia informed the red-heads with a sniff of disdain. Hearing this information, the twins stiffened, a low rumble emitting from them as the temperature and lightening in the room became lower and lower. A thunderclap made the cowering Muggles jump and the twins glared at them with ill-disguised venom.

"Are you stupid? Didn't Harry's Mum even explain to you what Magic is? Don't you know there are consequences for messing with something so out of your comprehension?" They spoke as one, and the Dursleys sneered in response, desperate to not show any weakness in front of these wizards.

"There is nothing wrong with removing something so unnatural from a freak. He definitely couldn't control it, so why shouldn't it be removed permanently so it doesn't infect anyone else?" Petunia replied her thin, horse-like face showing no remorse for the extent of the inhumanity she had shown towards her nephew.

"By forcibly removing the magic of a wizard or witch, you are either damning them to a life slowly being poisoned to death by the Magical Backlash, the process can be so traumatic they choose instead to become something less than human." George growled through gritted teeth, his grip on his wand tightening until white-hot sparks erupted from the tip. The temperature, which had been attempting to return to normal, took another dive into the sub-zero, their breath becoming visible as rain lashed the windows in a frenzy.

"What do you mean less than human? You freaks are already so far down the chain that you can barely see anything for all the dirt." Petunia informed them, her voice playing havoc with their hearing.

"A wizard or witch who chooses to live on after the removal of their magic slowly starts to go mad, their hunger for what they are missing driving them to steal it from others, in the form of souls. In short, they become Dementors." The Twins informed them, the way their voices sounded as one lending them an otherworldly air.  
>The blank look on Vernon's face drew a sneer from them, but it was the dawning horror in Petunia's eyes, closely followed by a smug sheen that really prompted them to fury.<p>

"You think it is fitting for someone as kind and as self-sacrificing as Harry to end up as a soul-sucking creature that causes despair and anguish in all? I think it is you who are the monsters here." George growled, wielding his wand in an arc that settled on Vernon, while Fred's landed on Petunia.

"What do you think Brother? What is a punishment befitting these cretins?"

Outside a thunder clap split the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry<strong>

The intense piercing wail that filled Dumbledore's office drew his attention to the numerous amounts of whirring, smoking items that covered the available surfaces in his office. The one flashing and emitting the scream had his eyes widening in alarm as he scrambled for his wand, ignoring the trilling of Fawkes as he attempted to contact Minerva.

"Minerva! Gather the teachers; the occupants of 4 Privet Drive are being attacked." He shouted, startling the woman who was busy making a schedule for the upcoming year.

"Right away Albus." She said, flinging open the door to her office and tapping the hidden summons-stone that alerted all teachers on the premises that they were required in the Headmaster's office. It didn't take long for the teachers to assemble, Snape sneering at the rest of them while Minerva informed people of the situation.

"Alright people, there has been an attack on Privet Drive, which is where Harry Potter has been spending the summer. Place a finger on this tea-pot and we will depart for the premises."

With a sound like water being sucked into a plug, the Portkey was activated and they were pulled through space.

* * *

><p><strong>Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey<strong>

As they struggled to their feet after the crash landing most of them had, the teachers drew their wands, casting drying charms and warding their clothing against the weather. Heading to number four, they hesitated at the door, observing the lack of wards around the house and they looked to Dumbledore. All previous wards, which had been in place and tied to Harry, had disappeared, except for the blood wards; which were looking incredibly sickly. Apparently, Harry had not found his home in the care of his relatives, and the blood wards, which were tied to the kinship felt by those within the house's walls, were failing at the rate of knots.  
>Knocking at the door, Dumbledore waited politely for a response a twinkle fixed firmly in his eye as he waited. Just as he was about to cast an <em>alohamora<em> at the lock the door swung open, revealing two grinning red-heads.

"Ah Professors, how nice of you to join us on this lovely day," The sentence was punctuated with a crack of lightening, "Why don't you come inside and we'll talk."

As the witches and wizards filed into the house, they noticed the state of the house and cast enquiring glances at the Twins. Glancing around at the house, they could not spot what had been the cause of the alarms in Dumbledore's office, and felt quite absurd standing in the overly neat hallway of the Dursleys. Realising that the source of the magic must have been the Twins, as Harry had not received a warning from the Ministry, they turned to the brothers and spoke.

"My boys, you do realise that the use of magic within this house draws immediate attention from the Ministry to Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore informed them, the grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes letting them know that he didn't know about the absence of Harry yet. Gathering their thoughts and focusing on the matter at hand instead of the fun they were having in the next room, they smiled in unison.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem Headmaster." Fred answered, and a snort was heard from Snape at the confident tone.

"Of course the brat wouldn't face any charges; the boy can do no wrong according to our esteemed Headmaster." Snape sneered, another flash of lightening lighting his face in profile. Protests rose from the other teachers at that, yet that was silenced by one of Snape's infamous glares.

"Unfortunately, that is only the case when Harry has been in residence for a week or more at the property. However, Harry hasn't been here for over two weeks, therefore we can cast as many spells as we like, and the only reason the Aurors would arrive would be if we cast Dark spells. After all, as the only living relatives of an underage wizard, they already know about magic therefore they don't register at the Ministry as Muggles. A small technicality, but one we are happy to exploit in a situation like this." They explained, having already looked up the information regarding muggleborn and half-blood wizards and the concessions they are given in regards to family. After all one has to know the rules before one goes around bending them.

"What do you mean Harry hasn't been here for two weeks? That isn't possible! I have been monitoring his progress, and not once has the wards suggested he isn't well. He was in perfect health and has continued to be since he returned from Hogwarts." Dumbledore spluttered, uncomprehending of the fact his trinkets weren't working to their fullest potential.

"If someone is admitted to an asylum, their place of residence is altered automatically within the Ministry." Fred continued, looking at his nails and affecting a nonchalant air as he leaned against the hallway wall. Suddenly a groan split the air, and the Twins looked at each other and grinned.

"If you'll excuse us, we have to attend to our hosts. They seem to have contracted something from some friends." They crowed, attempting to shoo the teachers out the door.

"You have no authorisation to be here Mssrs. Weasley. Stand aside." Snape drawled, not shifting an inch as he continued to inspect the house around him, his eyes drifting from picture to picture, noting the content, yet not quite translating the meaning behind it to him.

"Ah, but the thing is, you haven't the authority to be here either. As this is a private residence, of Muggles no less, neither you, nor any of the teachers here are technically welcome." The Twins pointed out, grinning when Snape growled and shoved them out of the way as he stalked further into the house. Another groan echoed from the living room, and the teachers all focused on the sound before heading towards the source. Sighing in regret, the Twins waited in the hallway, knowing that they would get in trouble for their actions, yet unable to feel guilty for it.

A shout let them know that they had found the Dursleys and grins spread across their faces as Dumbledore came back to where they were standing.

"My boys, you do realise that what you have done is reprehensible and deserves to be punished?" He asked and they shrugged, knowing that the teacher would probably find out the counter to their spells, but not for a while.

"They admitted Harry to an institute that is devoted to the removal of all powers from wizards and witches alike. They weren't even remorseful when we informed them of the consequences of their actions." They explained, knowing that Dumbledore was possibly trying to figure out what happened to the Dursleys so he could talk to them properly to find out the 'truth' behind the matter.

"Well then, we'll just have to wait until Severus and Poppy have fixed Harry's relatives before we determine the extent of your punishment. However, I will be talking to your parents about your actions, and I will suggest you be grounded for the rest of the holidays." Dumbledore informed them, the quiet moans in the background bolstering the twins as they looked at each other.

"Very well, we will see you at the start of term Professor." They said, activating the Portkey and steadying themselves as they arrived back in Gringotts with a pop.

"We didn't even find out where Harry was taken Forge." Fred muttered as they headed over to the fireplaces.

"We will send Hedwig with a letter and hopefully he will reply. If not, we will just have to talk to the Goblins about locating him."

* * *

><p><strong>Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters<strong>

Sneaking through the lower levels, Kitty wondered briefly why the infirmary was shut up. Usually it was open in case anyone needed attention immediately. Although there was other medical bays throughout the manor, the underground one was fitted to better suit the changeable nature of most mutant powers. Allowing her curiosity to get the better of her, she phased through the door and made her way over to the only occupied bed. Staring down at the boy on the bed, she reached out a hand to touch the bandages when she felt her wrist become entrapped by what felt like a band of steel. Gasping in surprise, she phased her arm through whatever was holding her hostage and was startled when the form on the bed seemed to located her despite the bandaged over his eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked unnerved by the intense not-stare that he had her fixed in.

When he didn't move again, she reached out once more, not really knowing what to expect from him, but all the same wanting to offer him the physical contact that most people who are blinded seemed to need when they first woke up. This time, instead on entrapping her wrist, the boy threw himself backwards away from her hand and hissed silently at her, air escaping his throat, yet no noise emitting from it.

"I won't hurt you, you are in Xavier's Mansion. You don't have to worry." She continued to speak to him, not knowing if he was registering her words or not, and unheeding of the alarm which had gone off in the other room. Continuing to murmur to him in a low voice, she didn't move from her spot, her eyes glued to him as the sound of running footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. A bright glow emitting from the back of the boy alerted her to potential danger and she prepared to phase through whatever he threw at her. The solid thud of something hitting the floor alerted her and she gasped as a large snake manifested itself in a circle around them, enclosing them in a wall of flesh.

* * *

><p>*<em>The young female doesss not ssseem to wisssh you harm Harry.*<em> Mordred spoke, the low hisses filling the room and drawing a wide-eyed stare of fear from the girl. Looking at her with protected eyes, Mordred deemed her less of a threat than the men and the woman he could sense outside the door trying to unlock it.

'_She does not know not to attempt to touch people who don't know where they are or who she is?'_ Harry asked in his mind, unsure of what had happened to bring Mordred forth from his mind, but happy that he had someone to act as a guide for now.

*_I think thisss one isss more Gryffindor than Ssslytherin. Ssshe russshesss into thingsss without thinking it through firssst.*_ Mordred replied amicably, snapping his head around to stare down at the intruders that had now come through the door.

*_I am going to withdraw now, I believe you have Remy to help you. Besssidesss I have ssscared the young one enough that ssshe will think twice about approaching your blindssside again.*_ With that, Mordred was engulfed in the light again and disappeared as though he had never been there in the first place. The only sound to be heard, was Kitty hitting the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

><p>The sight of a gigantic snake staring down at them before disappearing had Logan, Jean and Remy entering the room cautiously. Spotting Kitty on the floor, Jean rushed over to her and checked her vitals. Finding nothing wrong with the girl, she scanned the room for her other patient, wanting to know why he wasn't still on the bed. Spotting him on the floor beside the bed, she went to approach him, but stopped when his head snapped around, focusing on her and hissing again.<p>

"'arry, dis be Jean Grey, she is de medic o' de school." Remy informed him from his place at the door, silently amused by Jean's affronted look when he had to introduce her to her patient.

"If ya would be kind enough ta g't back onta de bed 'arry, we c'n g't ya outta 'ere quicker." He said, watching while Harry ran that idea over in his head, and was pleased when the boy shrugged and levered himself up and onto the bed. Sitting still on the edge of the mattress, he tilted his head as he waited for the next set of instructions, or for someone else to make a move.

"Remy believes 'e is waitin' for ya ta look at 'im now." He prompted when Jean seemed quite content to stare at the supposedly blind boy.

"Right, of course." She muttered, lifting her hand as she walked closer to remove the bandage. Harry's head followed her progress, and it was unnerving to feel his stare upon her as she worked. The first bandage to come away was the one around his neck and she was distracted by the shimmering of the patterned scar tissue.

"What happened here?" She asked, not expecting a reply from the boy.

"'e 'ad a power dat was attached ta 'is voice. Could make dem dance ta 'is tune with one trill. Sinister didn't like dat, decided to g't rid o' dat so 'arry couldn't escape." Remy replied for him, examining the 'healed' skin as he walked closer. It was a work of art, despite the reason why Harry had it adorning his neck. Nodding in acceptance of that explanation, she lifted her hands to the bandages around his eyes.

"Ya shouldn't remove dat yet _mon Cherie_." Remy cautioned, knowing that Harry would want to expose his eyes when he couldn't control his powers.

"And why not Remy? I need to see what's wrong with his eyes if he is to heal." She said, removing the bandages as she turned to look at him. Seeing Remy staring at Harry, she turned back and her eyebrows furrowed.

"There's nothing wrong with his eyes Remy. What were you talking about?" She queried and Remy turned stunned eyes onto her.

"Sinister removed 'is eyelids, _Cherie._" He muttered turning back to gaze at Harry who was rubbing his eyes vigorously as though he was clearing sleep from them. When he lowered his hands, the glimmer of scar tissue, similar to the one on his neck highlighted his eyes, which were still closed.

"Does he heal like Logan?" Jean asked, extending her hand towards Harry's eyes, jerking it back when he hissed and retreated from her.

"Remy don't know, but 'e knows dat 'arry is one lucky _garçon._"


End file.
